Jealousy in the Key of C
by feckle
Summary: A new life, a new town, together. What happens when Edwards independence brings doubt, mistrust and jealousy? How far will Carlisle go to keep Edward for himself? Non-Canon, Vampire.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** Twilight is the creation of Stephenie Meyer.

**AN:** This story is based upon the characterizations and events developed by **Pace is the Trick** in 'Away from the Sun' and 'Changing: A Love Story', my deepest appreciation to my wonderful beta for allowing me to dabble in her universe.

**Chapter One - January 1928**

_ "Jealousy is a disease, love is a healthy condition. The immature mind often mistakes one for the other, or assumes that the greater the love, the greater the jealousy - in fact, they're almost incompatible; one emotion hardly leaves room for the other. Both at once can produce unbearable turmoil..." Robert Heinlein_

This was good. Life was good.

Carlisle lay with Edward curled up on his chest as they watched the stars float against the canopy of the evening sky. They had finished unpacking their possessions in the new house and spent the evening investigating the forests surrounding their new home town of Oberlin, Ohio.

It had been time to move - to give Edward the opportunity to commence a field of study or to find an occupation; to interact with humans in a way other than his predatory experiences from earlier in that decade. But they also needed a break from the upheaval in their lives, and especially in their relationship.

The choice of Oberlin was a result of a finely balanced compromise. Each had specific requests that went beyond the basic need for adequate hunting grounds and a lower than average number of clear, sunny days. Oberlin was one of a handful of cities that met those two requirements, so it came down to the couple's other specific needs to determine if the town was suitable.

Perhaps not surprisingly, Carlisle's first request had been to practice in a hospital. That was quite easy to meet. In 1925, the township had seen the opening of a large facility, the Allen Memorial Hospital. Even more fortuitous, the floods in the year prior, the influenza outbreak, and the war had left the hospital short of trained medical personnel, most specifically doctors. After perfunctory inquiries, the hospital administrators were keen to accept Carlisle, and declared him a godsend when he indicated that he would happily take the night shifts.

Carlisle's second request was that they have access to cultural activities. Initially, this seemed odd to Edward, but Carlisle insisted that they both needed to be seen out and about in the town at social events to reduce the chance of questions or suspicions. After being pressed further on the matter, Carlisle admitted that the town's movie theatre - "the Apollo, they show talkies every night, Edward!" - and the local music conservatory provided wonderful opportunities for the couple to surreptitiously date. He was still getting used to Edward's return and wanted to "do things properly this time."

Likewise, Edward's first request was no great surprise to Carlisle. If they could not live by an ocean or lake, he wanted to be in easy running distance of one. This detail had initially posed some concern. However, on further investigation, they found that Lake Eire, the southern most entry point to the Great Lakes, was only ten miles north of town.

Oberlin had one other critical factor for Edward: it was the home to a pinnacle Music Conservatory, for which he had been invited to audition (and, he hoped, be accepted in its masters program). During his time away from Carlisle and subsequent recovery, he felt he had lost connection with his music and wished to focus on reclaiming that passion.

And so it was that some four weeks after the decision was made, they were now settled in their new home, lying on the lawn stargazing, both with careful expectations of this new start and its ramifications for them individually and as a couple.

Edward looked up from his position on Carlisle's chest and, kissing his lips lightly, raised a matter he had been keeping from Carlisle. "I have finished the new identity documents," he noted.

Carlisle's mental reply was that they really didn't need them straight away, but it was reassuring that Edward had it all sorted out.

"There was one detail in the cover story that needed some modification but otherwise it was pretty standard," Edward continued.

Carlisle frowned at the statement. "What detail? Is there a problem?"

They had decided that this time they would be half-brothers who, due to the influenza, had no surviving family and chose to live together as bachelors. (Edward had reverted back to his original surname of Masen while they were apart and had continued to use it even after his return. While it caused Carlisle some pain, he was happy to accept it if it meant having Edward back.)

"Well, we will have to be full brothers, not half, seeing as my name is now Edward Cullen." He looked down into Carlisle's eyes, trying not to get overwhelmed by the significance of the decision. He truly did not know why he had held out on this for all these years; they had returned to being a married couple in every sense of the word about a year or so after his return, but a part of him still felt undeserving of his husband's name. The move to Oberlin was in no small part his chance to start anew, and give Carlisle everything he wanted.

Carlisle froze, locking his gaze. "Really? Edward Cullen?"

The younger vampire nodded. Carlisle grabbed him in a fierce embrace and kissed him passionately. This was the last step of Edward's return to him, one that he had not dared to hope would happen so soon. His whispers of "thank you!" and "I love you" soon became sighs and moans as he showed his husband how much he truly loved him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer – **Twilight and its characters belong to Stephanie Meyer

**AN – **Sorry for the delay in posting, a family holiday on a tropical island interfered. I hope to get Chapter 3 out soon (currently with my wonderful Beta). Please note that this story will contain violence in later chapters; I will provide a warning at the start of chapters that do.

* * *

_Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything - _Plato

**Chapter Two**

One week after their arrival, Edward had an audition at the Conservatory. Carlisle insisted on accompanying him.

"You don't need to escort me, you know. I'm sure I can find the way all by myself," grumbled the younger vampire, but really he was just very nervous and not at all irritated with the other.

Carlisle knew there was no need for him to go with Edward, but he wanted to show his support for (and interest in) his mate's activities. And while he had a hard time admitting it to himself, he was actually the more nervous of the two. He had always been so proud of Edward's musical talents! He was keen to have him explore his potential. After all, he told Edward, he had his medical practice. It was only right that Edward embrace his own passion.

Perhaps more than anything else, Carlisle wanted Edward to have something of his own - something independent of Carlisle - that would ease Edward's total reliance on him. He couldn't help but feel that Edward's lack of anything outside of Carlisle's world had been the real cause of their rift. And he was determined to avoid another rupture in their relationship.

But the real reason for accompanying Edward was that he was unwilling to stay home alone - simply because it would mean being _alone_. Since Edward's return, he had had difficultly being by himself, especially at home. The six months Edward was away were the loneliest in Carlisle's long and lonely existence; he had avoided the house as much as possible during that time.

The emptiness he felt when Edward was apart from him had become even more pronounced earlier that week. Edward had gone into town to perform some errands; Carlisle wandered aimlessly from room to room unable to focus. Sitting on the porch after visiting every room in the house for the fifth time, he wondered whether Edward had missed him at all while he was away at work in their former homestead. Edward always appeared actively occupied each and every day, which disturbed and depressed Carlisle. He wanted Edward to pine _just a little _for him as well. That seemed only fair.

But he knew things would be right when he started back to work. He desperately needed something to do! His first shift at the hospital was the following day. In the meantime, he would be happily employed escorting Edward, a duty which would have been even more pleasurable if he had been able to hold his mate's hand.

Arriving at the conservatory they entered the main building and were met by a staff member. Edward was escorted to a side chamber in which resided a grand piano which, he was informed, was there for the purposes of his warm-up and preparation. Carlisle was directed to a vacant waiting room on the opposite side of the hallway. The room was fairly stark and uninviting and contained half-dozen high-backed wooden chairs surrounding a large fireplace, the mantle of which housed a large clock which had, in Carlisle's view, an exceptionally loud tick.

Edward had no need to warm up or review his pieces; instead he chose to play some of his more relaxing compositions in attempt to calm his nerves. His favorite was a piece he had written the previous year inspired by Carlisle stretched out on the ground watching the stars. Carlisle hearing 'his' piece from the waiting room smiled - _thank you love. _Edward responded his voice full of love "Thank You." He continued to play until interrupted by a second staff member inviting him into the main hall for his audition.

Waiting patiently Carlisle focused his attention on the audition hall, listening to Edward play the three pieces required for the audition - two classical works and one of his own compositions.

He smiled to himself and recalled how the last piece had caused a small amount of consternation and a large amount of disruption to the household.

One of the key requirements had been the submission of a copy of the original composition score weeks before the audition. The task itself should have posed no real problem. However, due to Edward's infallible vampire memory, he had never bothered to score his compositions before. Uncertain how best to proceed, he had become obsessed with translating the chosen piece to paper in meticulous detail. In the end, the sheets of music, scraps of paper and splattering of ink drove Carlisle to distraction and he had banished Edward to the back porch to complete the task.

Carlisle, absorbed in Edward's performance in the next room, was chuckling quietly to himself when the calm of the waiting room was broken by the arrival of a young man of around twenty years and a lady who could have only been his mother. Like Edward, the young man showed signs of nervousness as he was directed to the warm-up room while his mother joined the vampire in the waiting area. Sitting a few seats away from Carlisle, she threw him a quick, stressed smile and settled into a chair clearly intending to wait for her young man as well.

He smiled politely back at her and then returned his focus to the audition room. He was disappointed to hear that Edward had stopped playing and was now engaged in conversation with two others. He recalled Edward mentioning that this part of the audition was expected to last only half an hour, after which they had agreed to walk over to the hospital so that Carlisle could collect the paperwork for his shift the next day. Repositioning himself unnecessarily in the chair in a show of making himself comfortable, Carlisle turned his thoughts to the hospital and the information he had received from the governors earlier in the week.

He became distracted by the restless shifting of the woman and, looking up, realized that he had been so focused on his thoughts that he had not noticed that Edward had been talking to the audition committee for close to an hour.

He shared a glance with the other occupant of the waiting room, and noticed that her nervousness was acute, probably a result of the longer wait.

Clearing her throat she commented quietly, "They seem to be taking some time."

Carlisle turned to face her. "Yes, they are. My brother only expected the interview stage to go for half an hour."

A small smile played on her lips; she extended her hand. "Mrs. Mary Parson. My son William is auditioning today." Carlisle took her hand and although he had been sitting by the fire he was aware of her reaction to the coldness of his touch.

"Carlisle Cullen."

"Ah, the new doctor?" And when he nodded in acknowledgement, she, too, nodded as if this piece of information explained a great deal. Carlisle wondered what gossip had already been circulating about him and made a note to ask Edward to ferret it out.

On release of his grip, Mrs. Parson unconsciously rubbed her hand on her skirts as if to remove the chilled sensation of his touch. In that same moment, Edward emerged from the hall.

"How did it go?" asked Carlisle.

"All right, I think. They will contact me within the week." Edward responded briskly, not willing to discuss it further. He was certain that Carlisle would be annoyed with him over a slight slip he had made.

Carlisle turned and introduced Edward to Mrs. Parson; they shared pleasantries, and then took their leave, wishing her well and her son success in his audition.

As they left the building, a parting thought from the lady caused Edward to sigh.

Noticing his reaction, Carlisle inquired, "Do I want to know?"

Edward shrugged. "Let's just say that once again you will have an influx of requests by female patients to see you exclusively. Mrs. Parson intends to tell her circle of the 'charmingly handsome' new doctor." He sighed. Looking at Carlisle, he saw both amusement and exasperation in his mate's look. "I know, I know," he exclaimed, "I should not let it get to me. I am trying."

Frustrated that he could not take Carlisle in his arms, he wrapped his own tightly across his chest.

Brushing Edward's arm lightly, Carlisle tried to sooth his distraught mate. _I love you and only you. I understand that these things upset you, and in a small way I think it is flattering that you get so jealous. But it pains me to see you upset, love, so I ask that you try not to take others' flights of fancy to heart. _

Edward relaxed his pose, and looking up at his mate, he murmured, "I love you" and allowed himself to be led out of the Conservatory grounds in the direction of the hospital.

On completion of Carlisle's errand - which included, to Edward's irritation, a tour of the entire facility and introductions with every doctor, nurse and orderly on staff - they returned home.

While walking, Edward described his audition in greater detail. "I thought for a moment I had made an error when they asked where my music was; I thought they had not received the scores we had sent. But then I realized they meant the music I was to play from. They were dubious when I told them that I would play from memory, but seemed pleased afterwards." Carlisle shook his head; it had not occurred to either of them that Edward might require copies of the scores as props, but it sounded like no harm had been done.

"Why did you take so long at interview?"

"Well…" Edward paused, looking at Carlisle guiltily.

Carlisle sighed. "What did you say?"

"The maestro and I were discussing different styles of music and the origin of pieces. I started talking about some of the music that we had heard in Europe. We were talking about Jazz in Paris and I mentioned the music we heard on Bastille Day."

Carlisle groaned, now knowing the source of the boy's guilt. "Edward, how old did you say you were?"

"Twenty-two," the young vampire whispered.

Carlisle groaned again. It could have been worse, Edward could have said 25. "I thought we had agreed on 19 or 20." He raised an eyebrow at the abashed being beside him.

"I know, it just seemed unreasonable that I would have been concentrating on music in Paris at the age of 11! Indeed, one member of the panel thought that if I said anything younger than 13, I would have been telling a falsehood, so I had to go with 13!" He stopped walking. Checking that there was no one around, he clasped Carlisle's hand. "I am sorry if I have already caused problems for us here".

Carlisle raised their joined hands, gently brushing Edward's cheek. "It's not a problem. We can work around it. It was just a surprise….and you know how I feel about those!" He smiled and kept Edward's hand in his own the remainder of the walk, trusting the other to warn him if they needed to separate.

~*.*~

The hospital had requested that Carlisle have his house connected to the local telephone party line to ensure that they could contact him directly rather than sending a runner. Edward had not been keen on the idea at first as he had liked having Carlisle to himself at home with limited intrusion by hospital duties. He had grudgingly accepted that the telephone had advantages as he found himself waiting close by, the day after the audition, hoping that the conservatory would call. He was surprised at his own level of anticipation and had a number of times found Carlisle watching him with a bemused fondness.

Carlisle had surveyed Edward throughout the day, quietly ecstatic that the young man was enlivened by the prospect of studying music again. That said, he had been a little disappointed when Edward declined his invitation to walk with him to the hospital for his first day. Edward always walked Carlisle to his first day at work since their return from Europe to Vermont in 1921. The custom was something Carlisle quite enjoyed, regarding it as Edward's manifest support for his occupation.

Not wishing to upset his mate, Carlisle had tried to make light of his disappointment. "What? Don't you want to meet the remainder of my new colleagues?"

Rolling his eyes, Edward had snorted. "I really don't need to hear the same thoughts about you from a new group of hospital staff."

"Not jealous are we?" He smiled half jokingly, kneeling on the floor in front of him, running his hands along Edward's arms. He knew Edward struggled with the thoughts of the female ("And male!") hospital staff with regard to Carlisle.

Edward raised an eyebrow and had just opened his mouth to retort when the distinctive ring for their phone along the party line trilled through the house.

The telephone rang once, paused, and then rang again.

Carlisle looked at Edward wondering why he had yet to answer. He was surprised to see him frozen in position, staring at the ringing phone with a look of pure panic in his eyes.

"Shall I get it?" Carlisle asked softly. At Edwards's slight nod, Carlisle walked to pick up the receiver.

"Cullen residence. Dr Cullen speaking." He paused, "Yes, Maestro. You are ringing regarding my brother, Edward?"

But Edward shook his head frantically when Carlisle offered him the receiver. The older vampire gave him an exasperated look, but returned to the party on the other end. "I am sorry, Maestro, Edward is unable to come to the telephone. May I give him a message?"

Another pause, Edward felt his head would explode with anticipation.

"Certainly, Edward will be at your office in one hour, thank you." Carlisle returned the receiver to the cradle. "Well, that was unexpected! Have you any idea why they would need to see you again?"

Edward could not speak, and only shook his head in response to Carlisle's question. Surprised by his own emotions, he grasped at Carlisle and pulled him into a tight embrace.

Carlisle, astonished at the panic on Edward's face, tried to soothe him. "I am sure everything is fine, Edward. Maybe they just need to clarify something. I will walk you there on my way to work, and should you need to talk to me afterwards, well, you know where to find me!"

Nodding at the plan, Edward went upstairs to change. When he came back down, he was more settled. He wrapped his arms around Carlisle and lightly kissing his mate's soft lips and said, "I'm ready."


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer – **Twilight and its characters belong to Stephanie Meyer

**AN – **Sorry for the delay in posting, thank you for your patience. In the words of Marvin the Paranoid Android, "Life! Don't talk to me about life." Please note that this story will contain violence in later chapters. I will provide a warning at the start of those chapters.

* * *

**Chapter Three**

_A memory is what is left when something happens and does not completely unhappen. - _Edward de Bono

Unable to contain his excitement, Carlisle raced home at the end of his shift. He was desperate to find out what had occurred in Edward's meeting. He had been surprised and disappointed that Edward had not dropped by the hospital afterwards. He understood that Edward felt uncomfortable intruding on his mate's work but he had hoped the younger vampire would have put aside those concerns in this matter.

While the matter had not distracted him from his duties, Carlisle had speculated throughout his shift on the possible purpose of the meeting. As much as he hated to doubt Edward, he wondered if the other had made some innocent error which would require them to leave before they had even settled in. He had berated himself throughout the night for not paying more attention to the interview to monitor what had been said.

Arriving home, he heard the sound of Edward playing and hoped that this was a good sign.

He opened the front door. Before even putting his bag down, he asked the question that had been occupying him all night.

S_o how did it go? What did they say?_

Edward ceased playing and frowned. This brought Carlisle up short. Thinking back to his entry into the house, Carlisle suddenly realized why Edward was not pleased.

"I'm sorry! I - I - I - forgot! I was just so excited to find out how it went."

He composed himself, "I am very sorry, please forgive me!"

Edward tipped his head to one side and smiled. He knew it was often difficult for Carlisle to commit to their agreement.

Upon Edward's return from his 'time away' (as Carlisle endearingly called it) rules were established between the two to better their communication. The most important of these for Edward was that when they were both in the same room, Carlisle was required to verbalize, to **speak** to Edward.

Prior to their discussion, Carlisle had not appreciated the comfort it gave Edward when Carlisle made the effort to speak to him, rather than interact purely by thought. In Edward's opinion, Carlisle's use of thoughts over speaking for communication, smacked of laziness. Edward held that Carlisle assumed Edward would 'do all the work' to focus on Carlisle's thoughts.

Edward had also found it difficult to limit his intrusion to those thoughts Carlisle wanted him to be aware, and those he did not. While not able to stop the other thoughts reaching him, by insisting Carlisle verbalize in his presence, he found he was able to focus on the conversation, as precedence over the sub-text happening underneath. The exception to the rule was Carlisle could communicate via thought when they were out in public, and there was something that could not wait, or would be inappropriate for outsiders to hear.

Carlisle insisted on a further compromise for when they were conversing at home – when they were located in separate rooms, conversation could be performed via Carlisle's thoughts and Edward speaking. While they recognised that they could easily speak to each other, no matter where in the house they were, Edward, knowing the comfort it gave Carlisle to not have to speak to an empty room, had conceded this point.

It had also been agreed the rule did not apply whilst they were making love. They both felt that the connection was too much of a sacrifice to give up.

"It's alright," Edward soothed. "This is an usual situation."

"Well?" demanded Carlisle, "what did they want?"

Edward moved to the sofa, gesturing for Carlisle to join him. When both were seated, Edward took a deep breath and started.

"It turns out that Maestro had only planned to supervise the Masters program. Performing keynote lectures while his tutor, Mr. Phelps, was to run the practical classes." He paused and smirked. "It turns out Mr. Phelps eloped last night with one of the students. Quite a scandal!" He shared an amused look with Carlisle, before continuing.

"The result of all this, is that they have no one to perform the role of tutor for the masters program."

Carlisle frowned, unsure as to where the conversation was heading. His immediate concern was that Edward may not be able to pursue his music in Oberon, and that the young vampire may wish to move elsewhere to do so.

Carlisle did not want to move again. His first shift at the hospital had been relaxing, as he had once again put his medical skills into practice. Since Edward had entered his life ten years before, it had been necessary to put aside his medical skills, more than once, to support the young vampire.

He did not blame Edward for all the circumstances that had made it necessary. However he could not deny that he would be _quite put out_ should he have to start again due to a faux pas of Edwards. His current position was a wonderful combination of patient care and medical research, both of which he enjoyed immensely.

He noticed that Edward appeared more nervous than distraught. This confused him even more.

"So are they going to delay, or cancel, the program?" he prompts.

"Well that depends," Edward replied with a small smile.

"On what?" Carlisle asked shortly, frustrated with Edward procrastination.

Aware of his mate's growing irritation, Edward looked Carlisle in the eye.

"It depends, on whether or not I accept the tutor position."

Carlisle's jaw dropped. He had not expected this. This would change everything they had planned.

He watched Edward run his hands through his hair, the sure sign that the young vampire was nervous. Carlisle caught Edward's hands, holding them in Edwards lap, stroking them with his thumbs. "Go on Edward, what happened?"

Edward looked down at their joined hands and then up again at Carlisle. "They were impressed with my audition. However, they felt that I was too advanced for the Masters' Program."

Carlisle chuckled. The fact that Edward was more advanced that the average Masters student was not surprising. They had both hoped that this would not affect his chances of joining the program.

It was the interaction with other musicians that Edward craved most of all. Interaction Carlisle had agreed was important for Edward's continued musical, and social, development.

Edward continued. "Despite the feeling that I was too advanced, the Maestro wished me to stay at the school. He wanted to find an alternative position for me. Before recent events, the plan had been to offer me the opportunity to study directly under him, attending classes as I wished. But then…"

He trailed off, glancing down to their joined hands.

Taking a deep breath, he continued rapidly, "I asked about class times, as I was concerned about both sunlight and my work hours conflicting with yours. It turns out the Masters students classes start after noon, with lectures and theory first, and practical classes in the late afternoon and evenings."

He paused, capturing Carlisle's gaze. Carlisle had been less focused on Edward's words, instead watching with joy the glow of excitement that had appeared on Edward's face.

"Carlisle, I want to do this…..But only with your blessing."

Carlisle looked down at their joined hands. He could feel Edward buzzing with nervous excitement.

In the brief time he had to absorb the offer, he identified a number of challenges that the change in plan would bring to their household.

However, all of that was moot. He could not deny his beautiful Edward anything.

"If this is what you want, then of course you have my blessing. Not that you need it."

Moving closer to Edward, he wrapped his arms around him in an almost fierce embrace. Holding Edward, Carlisle suddenly felt apprehensive. Berating himself, he shook off the feeling of trepidation.

Over the course of the morning they mulled over the difference between Edward being a student and Edward working as a teacher. During the conversation, Carlisle gently raised the question of Edward's feelings in regards to him making money from his music.

Prior to the move and the decision that Edward become a music student, they had discussed the possibility of Edward composing and playing outside the home. While investigating the various options, Carlisle had suggested Edward play professionally. The idea had been somewhat abhorrent to Edward. It had taken Edwards a number of attempts before he was able to explain to Carlisle that he wrote and played for Carlisle, and he felt he would be unfaithful to his mate if he bartered his passion for money.

Carlisle was rocked by this revelation and had not brought the subject up again. So when discussing the conservatory's offer, Carlisle carefully raised this as a concern. After thinking about the situation, Edward decided that this was different as his salary was based on his teaching, not performing. He reasoned that for those few times that he did play, he would image Carlisle listening outside the window. (Which, he smirked, he was sure would be the truth, for at least the first few lessons. Carlisle ducked his head at the comment, as he had planned to do exactly that.)

Mid-morning, Edward rang the conservatory, advising the Maestro that, after discussions with his brother, he would be happy to accept the generous offer. The two vampires then shifted the discussion to the change in preparations necessary to make Edward ready for life - not as a student, but as a teacher.

On closer consideration, they agreed that this was inadvertently an ideal situation. Edward would only be interacting with a maximum of 3-5 students in a large room (removing the concentration of scent he would have encountered as one of a larger class of students). In addition, Carlisle was pleased that Edward's working hours would be fewer than he would have had as a student, allowing them more time together at home.

Much to Edward's annoyance, Carlisle insisted on having him fitted for a new wardrobe.

("We must, at least, have you looking a couple of years older than your students," Carlisle had explained. "They know you are young, but trust me, Edward, it will be easier if we get you looking closer to 22 than 17.")

Edward remained sensitive about his age. He resigned himself to Carlisle's ministrations and, to his mate's surprise, offered no protest or resistance at the tailors.

~*.*~

It was Edward's first day of work.

Carlisle was not sure which of them was the more nervous. He had an unshakable urge to grab Edward and not let him leave the house. He also knew such actions would not be well received as Edward would doubtless believe that his reaction had more to do with their past rather than their present situation.

He had to constantly remind himself that this was what Edward wanted. And, churning emotions and feelings of possessiveness aside, he had committed to supporting his mate in this endeavour.

Carlisle had to admit to himself that he was saddened Edward had decided against medicine. He knew that there was a part of him that enjoyed the mentor role, and desired to see his protégé develop into a MD or medical specialist. He tried to reassure himself that there would be ample time for that in their eternity together.

His musings were interrupted by Edward's voice floating down from the floor above.

"You have got to be kidding me. We both know what will happen if I am that close to human blood! Control I have, but purposefully walking up to the buffet is not something I think I can handle."

Carlisle snorted.

Edward was not subtle about his control, or lack thereof, for human blood. Carlisle suspected the young vampire's language and jokes acted as a buffer against his brooding and self-flagellation over past indiscretions. Complete silence from the floor above, seemed to confirm the suspicions.

Carlisle sighed.

They both knew that medical training was not a current option. Maybe not even for another 50 years.

"Maybe not for forever," a quiet voice sighed behind him.

Carlisle turned to look at Edward, dressed and ready for his first day. It pained his heart to think that the young vampire might be correct. Reaching out his hand, he grasped the others firmly, giving it a slight squeeze.

"Maybe. Maybe not. Who can tell?"

Patting his knee, he invited the young vampire to sit. Edward walked round the chair and settled into his mate's lap. He relaxed in Carlisle's embrace, enjoying the simple comfort of being held.

"Why are you ready so early?" asked Carlisle. "I thought you didn't need to be there until two this after noon?"

"I don't. I just… I don't know… wanted to get ready. I have to check out the room … there is more paperwork I have to look at…" He stopped his ramblings and looked down at his hands, embarrassed.

They had promised each other that there would be no secrets between them, no brushing over things. However, sometimes it was hard to keep that promise without feeling weak! Carlisle waited patiently, stroking his love's hair, knowing that whatever it was would emerge soon enough.

When it does it is barely a whisper. "I am frightened of messing everything up….again."

Carlisle sighed at Edward's confession.

He knew from where this insecurity stemmed, and while a part of him wished to comfort Edward, murmuring that he had never - not once! - 'messed everything up', they both knew that it was not true. Edward still felt guilty for leaving Carlisle and for all the horrible things that he had done while away.

Edward had been away for six months. Six months when the boy had abandoned both Carlisle and his teachings: Edward had used his talent to seek out, and feed from, murders, rapists and other criminals.

But even knowing this, Carlisle had accepted Edward back without hesitation on his return.

Although badly hurt by Edward's abandonment (and his abhorrent behaviour during their separation, though he would never mention it), the pain and loss for Carlisle had been even more acute. Still, there had been no question in Carlisle's mind of taking the young vampire back.

He had been lost without his mate.

Carlisle clenched his eyes against the memory of returning home from work, only to find the house deserted, and a note precariously balanced upon the ruins of Edward's piano. He could not bring himself to recall the argument that had triggered both the damage, and the letter. The memories of reading Edward's pain and anger spewing from the pages - had Carlisle tightening his grip on Edward, as if he would vanish again.

During Edward's absence, Carlisle had given up on his professional life, and neglected his most basic needs. After weeks of immobility and despair, he travelled in an attempt to track his wayward mate. But after each futile endeavour, he would return to the house, shattered and desperate for a sign that Edward might have returned in his absence.

The day of Edward's homecoming was arguably the happiest of Carlisle's entire existence. Returning from a long overdue hunt, he had found the boy, curled up in the foetal position, on the front porch. The sight of his love clutching himself, rocking and whimpering, had torn him up inside. In one move, he had raced to Edward, sweeping him up in his arms.

Explanations and apologies would come later. Over the next twelve hours, Carlisle held his love, rocking him gently, kissing his head and cheeks. A constant monologue of thought – _Thank God. You came back to me. I love you _– revealed his elation and profound gratitude at Edward's return.

At one point, Carlisle had noticed that the young vampire was starving. He pierced his own wrist to feed him. As the boy fed from his sire, Carlisle hummed quietly with joy, finally able to accept the truth that Edward had returned to him - to be looked after and cared for by his mate, just as it should be.

Throughout the following week, Carlisle had had moments when he recalled the pain and suffering he had gone through while Edward was away. He refused to dwell on them, vowing from that day he would never allow such a separation to occur again. He resolved to ensure the boy was happy no matter what.

Comprehending Carlisle's thoughts, Edward began to sob into the other man's shoulder. He was desperately sorry for what he had put them both through, at times flashing back to the first weeks after his return - where every thought from Carlisle had been a confused mass of love, pain, gratitude, relief and sorrow.

While the relationship had returned to that of a married couple, Edward often felt that he would never be able to fully compensate Carlisle for the damage that he had inflicted on their relationship. He was very conscious of not wanting to be a nuisance and mess up what they had rebuilt.

Edward started to shake in Carlisle's arms, curling into a ball, trying to get as close to his mate as possible.

"Nothing is going to happen! Everything is fine!" Carlisle soothed, kissing his hair.

Edward sobbed louder. Carlisle, in an automatic response to soothe and care for his mate, pierced the skin of his wrist, placing the bleeding gash up to Edward's mouth. Without hesitation, Edward held Carlisle's wrist to his mouth, suckling lightly. Carlisle rocked them both, murmuring soothing noises into Edward's hair, much like he had on that miraculous night.

Edward squirmed as the combination of his mate's blood and the rocking movement on Carlisle's lap triggered sensations of pleasure and desire. He shifted, fully aware of Carlisle's arousal. Edward whimpered, attempting to move into a position in which he could find relief.

Carlisle released his wrist from Edward's grasp and ran his fingers down Edward's cheek.

_Why don't I help you feel better upstairs?_

Edward nodded shyly.

With that permission, Carlisle scooped him up, carrying him to their bedroom. Placing his mate gently on the bed, he removed their clothing and lay down next to Edward. He gathered the lad into his arms in a sweet but passionate kiss.

A delicious moan from Edward encouraged Carlisle to deepen the kiss, throwing all of his love and desire into the joining of their mouths and tongues. The taste of Edward, already intoxicating, was all the more arousing when combined with the taste of his own blood.

Carlisle's wanted Edward there and then, but he had promised to help Edward feel better. Instead of heading straight for Edward's entrance, Carlisle kissed, nipped and licked his way down Edward's body.

Carlisle focused on those areas where he knew Edward was most sensitive. He travelled down the perfect body, paying attention to Edward's neck (with Carlisle's scar), nipples, and navel - a place where Edward was unusually sensitive, Carlisle's attentions of which always elicited a giggle or squeal (which Carlisle found absolutely adorable).

Edward's moans were music to Carlisle's ears as he moved down along Edwards hips, nosing his hard length, and then continued further down gently fondling his testicles.

The sensation of Carlisle's ministrations caused Edward to arch off the bed. "Oh Carlisle… Please!"

_Patience love!_

Carlisle moved up to Edward's hard length, and slowly took it in his mouth. Edward reached down to run his fingers through Carlisle's hair, then tightened his grip as the sensation of Carlisle's mouth on him started to push him to climax.

Panting, he pulled Carlisle's head up. "Not like this. I need you!"

Carlisle nodded. He moved down Edward's body, gently opening his mate's legs wide. He pooled a generous amount of venom in his mouth spreading it around Edward's entrance. His tongue slipped in and out a number of times to ensure the other was fully prepared.

Edward gasped at the sensations. He looked up at Carlisle and begged, "Please Carlisle…NOW!"

Carlisle carefully positioned himself at Edward's entrance, entering in a slow but continuous motion until he was fully sheathed inside his mate. He reached up for Edward's hands and held them above Edward's head. He locked his husband's gaze, gently moving within him.

Edward moved his own hips in an attempt to increase the pace. Carlisle held him gently, but firmly, restricting the movement.

_No, Love._

Carlisle continued the slow pace, leaning down and taking him in a passionate kiss. They moved as one, never breaking their gaze. The odd moan, whimper, or "I love you" the only sounds breaking the noise of their bodies moving together.

The pleasure created by their coupling increased slowly. It was a delicious sensation which washed over them and absorbed everything but each other. They were so immersed in each other and the sensations growing within them, that they were not aware of their impending climax until it was upon them.

Crying out together, they maintained eye contact as their orgasms crashed over them. Edward started to shake, from the sensations from both his own climax, as well as those thoughts received from Carlisle. Carlisle lay down and held his lover tightly while the boy rode out the surge of pleasure.

They lay quietly, holding each other for a long while. Carlisle leaned into Edward, kissing him gently.

_Whenever you doubt yourself and worry about making mistakes, I want you to remember this time - you and I together like this. I am so proud of you, my Edward - my creation! - I love you forever, no matter what._

Despite the truth in it, Edward was uncomfortable when Carlisle talked of him as something he had made. He always felt like a possession, which was something he had difficultly reconciling with their marriage.

He shook off the thought, responding light-heartedly, "You start going all proud parent on me and I am going to develop a twisted Oedipus complex. "


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer – **Twilight and its characters belong to Stephanie Meyer

**AN – **Thanks to you all for putting up with my ad-hoc posting schedule, this story will continue to the end, it may just take me a while to get there.

Many thanks again to my wonderful beta, for debates on mind reading, pianos and telephones.

Please note that this story will contain violence in later chapters. I will provide a warning at the start of those chapters.

**

* * *

Chapter Four**

_Change always comes bearing gifts. ~Price Pritchett_

Edward was euphoric walking to his first job.

He could not remember ever having had a job before. Carlisle confirmed this - stating that he did not consider enlisting in the navy during wartime, even if voluntary, a form of employment. (Carlisle was of the opinion that Edward, at seventeen too young for conscription, should never have been allowed to enlist.)

They walked together and Edward tried to hide the smile that came with Carlisle's thoughts. The older vampire struggled not to lecture his considerably younger companion on proper conduct.

Edward decided to let him off the hook. "You can tell me if it makes you feel better."

Carlisle looked sheepish. "No, no! I don't want to insult you. Just - please be careful. Remember to be conscious of slowing your movements, focus on their words, not their thoughts, try to warm your hands regularly…"

Edward rolled his eyes, growling under his breath.

Carlisle stopped abruptly, and turned to face him. Speaking sharply, he snapped, "And NONE of that!"

Edward dropped his gaze.

He wondered how in the span of a few seconds, he had gone from feeling content to being chastised like a newborn.

Carlisle watched as Edward retreated inwards. He was thoroughly ashamed. He should not have taken his stress and concerns out on his mate.

Glancing quickly to confirm there was no one around, he placed his fingers under Edward's chin and raised the young vampire's head. "I am so sorry. I let my anxiety get the better of me." He cupped Edward's cheek with his palm. _Can I kiss you?_

Edward understood Carlisle was asking as much for forgiveness as for confirmation there was no one nearby. He nodded, moving to join Carlisle in a sweet, gentle kiss.

After a short time, they separated with a sigh, and continued their walk to the Conservatory.

~*.*~

They arrived at the Conservatory front office with more than enough time to spare.

Carlisle watched as Edward filled out his employment contract and the other requisite forms. To Edward's irritation, Carlisle could not resist commenting on his responses.

Finally, tired of the intrusion, he shoved the family details form at his mate. "You might as well fill this in, rather than tell me what to write," and returned to the task of completing his contract.

Carlisle happily complied. He was glad that he could assist Edward with his paperwork, having had so much more experience in such matters.

Once the paperwork was completed, the clerk provided Edward and Carlisle with a tour of the school. They walked around the campus and were shown the different facilities for students and staff before finally arriving at the front of a large four-story building.

A plaque on the front of the building identified it as the Rice Memorial Hall.

As they entered, their guide explained that the Hall contained six large lecture rooms, numerous studios, and over a hundred practice rooms. While he talked, he led them along the ground floor corridor to a wide wooden door at the very end.

Fishing out a large key from his pocket, the clerk opened the door and indicated they should enter the large space within.

"This is the main room. The door to the left leads to your office. You are welcome to arrange the rooms as you wish. The current arrangements are as Mr. Phelps left them. "

The last comment was made with a roll of his eyes. The man's thoughts gave Edward an even clearer idea of what the administrative staff had thought of Mr Phelps.

Their guide waved a hand toward the two grand pianos in the room. "If you need assistance with moving the instruments, you will need to put in a request to maintenance at least two days in advance."

Edward nodded. They then both turned to watch Carlisle who was wandering around the room.

"Well, I shall leave you both to it then." He paused in thought, and then continued. "I almost forgot, the Maestro asked me to tell you that he would drop by between his classes to see how you are settling in. Mr Cullen, Doctor Cullen." With that gentleman handed Edward the key to the room, nodded, and walked off.

Edward shut the door, and then turned to view his new domain.

The room was a large with a high ceiling. The walls were a nondescript cream, with the only features the two wood paneled doorways and four tall windows, two on each of the external walls.

Looking closely Carlisle noted with approval that there were both blinds and shutters on each set of windows, should Edward need it.

The furniture was arranged as a formal lecture room, with rows of hardback chairs. The two grand pianos appeared to have been positioned almost as an after thought, with the performer facing the wall rather than to the audience.

Carlisle watched as Edward moved around the room. Entranced, he noticed that every now and then Edward would pause, hum a note or two, and listen to the acoustics at that given point. He then followed Edward to the office door.

Upon opening it, they both gasped.

Edward did not take neatness to the level that Carlisle did, and it had often been a gripe of Carlisle's that Edward had a tendency to "leave his things around." But even Edward was horrified at the level of disorder in the room.

The room was a disaster, with books and papers and clothing covering every surface, including the floor. Lifting some of the debris, Carlisle could see that there appeared to be a number of pieces of furniture within the space.

Based on the layout of the building, they knew that this room was of a reasonable size. Unfortunately the clutter made the room appear small and cramped.

Edward looked back through the door to the large room, then back to the office. "I am not sure where to start," he admitted to Carlisle.

Carlisle looked at the chaos in front of him. "Why don't I start in here, get rid of the obvious mess and leave those things you might wish to use to one side. You start working on rearranging your teaching space. We probably won't have it perfect for your first class tomorrow," he paused and sighed. "But it will be a sight better than this."

Edward smiled his thanks at Carlisle. He opened his mouth to reply, but instead paused, tilting his head. Carlisle was about to ask, when they both heard a gentle knock on the main door.

They returned to the main room as the Maestro entered. "Ah! Mr. Cullen! Good!"

Turning to Carlisle, he held out his hand. "Dr Cullen, I am pleased to finally meet you." Carlisle took the man's hand, noting there was no reaction to the coolness of his touch. The physician in him wondered if the older man's nervous system was functioning correctly and wondered how he could get him in for a check-up.

"It is wonderful to meet you. I am so excited that you were able to provide Edward with this unique opportunity. It is beyond our expectations when moving here." Carlisle gushed.

"Well Edward is an unusual talent and I could not let him go easily."

Carlisle frowned at this comment. However, his internal discord was interrupted as the man turned to Edward. "I hope you have had a good look at the room. Did your guide tell you that you are free to rearrange everything as you wish?"

Edward nodded and replied, "I had hoped to rearrange the space to a more informal layout and will probably remove a number of pieces of furniture."

"Good! Good!" said the older man, patting Edward on the shoulder.

Turning back to Carlisle, he asked conversationally, "I understand from Edward that you have travelled extensively?"

"Yes, we were fortunate to have the opportunity to travel after our parents passed away. It gave Edward a unique opportunity to discover and explore his musical inclinations." Carlisle smiled proudly at the young vampire.

The Maestro nodded, "It seems to have been an invaluable experience." He paused. "Edward mentioned you had been to France, Vienna and Greece. I was wondering if, by any chance, you travelled to my home country - Italy?"

Edward's body stiffened. His hands clenched, moving slightly as if to grab Carlisle. They had talked at length regarding their time in Italy, however the effect on the young vampire had been so profound that sometimes his reactions got the best of him.

_Edward! CALM! _Carlisle warned.

He returned his attention to the Maestro. "We did travel in Italy, but not extensively. Whereabouts in Italy are you from?"

It was a guarded question, and he found himself afraid of the answer. On further reflection, he realized the man's accent was familiar. Too familiar for his liking!

"You probably will not have heard of it. It is a rather unremarkable, little village called La Chiostra. Indeed its most notable feature is its close proximity to the city of Volterra."

The Maestro prattled on about the village of his childhood, but neither vampire was paying attention.

From the moment the human had unwittingly mentioned the city, Edward had frozen in place. Carlisle tried to calm him, directing a constant stream of thought to Edward. _It is OK! You are safe! I am here! It is just a coincidence!_

He wanted to grab Edward and hold him tight but given the circumstances, opted for another tactic.

Maybe Edward needed a firmer hand.

_EDWARD CULLEN! STOP! THIS! NOW!_

Edward's eyes snapped to Carlisle's. Embarrassment and shame flashed across his features.

Carlisle's eyes flickered to the unobservant human. _We will talk later. Make your excuses and walk away._

He noted Edward's hesitation. _It is alright. I love you._

Carlisle smoothly picked up the conversation with the Maestro. Edward waited a moment before he politely excused himself to look at the pianos.

Edward stepped away from the two men, leaving them to talk further. He headed for the grand pianos at the far end of the room. Edward did not want to think about Italy today. He did not want those memories to ruin this wonderful day.

He was annoyed at his reaction. While Carlisle had assured him that he would become more and more reconciled to their time there, it upset him that he could not hear the country mentioned in polite conversation without feeling panicked.

Edward walked up to the two grand pianos. He was pleased to see they were Baldwin Grand Pianos, second only in quality to Steinway (of which Edward's own piano was one). The choice of the Baldwin's made sense for the Conservatory, as they were designed and built locally in the nearby city of Loveland.

Moving around the two instruments, he commenced his inspection, checking each part and noting anything that he needed to repair.

Having performed as complete an inspection as he could without additional equipment (which he would bring from home), he sat at the better of the pianos and lightly began to play.

Carlisle's conversation with the Maestro had moved from Europe to topics closer to home. The Maestro lamented the inappropriate behavior of Mr. Phelps and the mortification for the young girl's family. "If I had had even an inkling, I would have separated the two immediately," he sighed.

Carlisle felt sympathy for the man who had been put in a highly embarrassing position by the action of his staff member.

"I will tell you now," the Maestro continued, "The remaining young lady's parents have expressed concern that another young, single man has been hired and have suggested that a chaperon be present in classes."

Carlisle nearly laughed out loud at the thought that Edward may be a risk to a young girl's virtue.

"I can assure you, Maestro, such attachments are the last thing on my brother's mind." He said solemnly.

Edward chuckled quietly, as he continued to play.

The Maestro nodded. "I have assured the girl's family that Mr. Cullen is very different to Mr. Phelps. Unlike Mr. Phelps, Edward is settled in Oberlin with his family. Your reputation as a doctor and as an honorable man has preceded you, and therefore Edward by relation."

Carlisle dipped his head in acknowledgment, and if he were capable of blushing, he would have. He never felt comfortable with praise of his character.

"Besides," the Maestro continued quietly, bending his head toward Carlisle. "Anyone that enamored with music has no interest 'innamoramento', as you say 'falling in love', with anything, or anyone."

They both turned to watch the talented young man as he wove his magic on the keys. The Maestro's words triggered something inside Carlisle. He wondered for a moment if the other had spoken true. Could Edward share his passion and love for his music with his passion and love for Carlisle?

One day, would he choose one over the other?

Which would he choose?

Picking up on Carlisle's distress, Edward ceased playing, closed up the instrument and crossed the room to the others.

"Thank you for the opportunity, Maestro. I hope that I can live up to the challenge." Capturing the older man's attention, Edward moved surreptitiously in front of Carlisle, allowing the latter to re-group.

"There is no doubt that you are well up to this role, young Edward." Patting Edward on the shoulder, the Maestro then turned and shook Carlisle's hand before heading towards the door.

Upon reaching the threshold, he turned back, "Edward. I will drop in on your first lesson tomorrow - that is, if you do not mind? To provide you with assistance, should you need it."

Edward smiled, knowing full well this was not a request. "Not at all, Maestro, I would be grateful for your support."

With that the Maestro nodded and left the room, shutting the door behind him.

Once the door was closed, Edward leaned back into the other, who in turn wrapped his arms around him.

Turning in his mate's arms, Edward looked Carlisle in the eye. "Music will never be more important that you." He reached up and touched Carlisle's cheek. "Without you to inspire me, there is no music."

He gently touched his lips to Carlisle's, and then relaxed into the other man's embrace, and felt the tension caused by the Maestro's well meaning, but distressing comment dissipate until a peaceful warmth filled him and he had forgotten the incident entirely.

They stood relaxed in their embrace for a long moment, before separating with a sigh. The shared a light chaste kiss before heading off to complete their respective tasks.

Carlisle tackled the chaos in the office. He worked quickly and methodically and soon the only items left in the room were the rescued furniture and a large pile of manuscripts, sheet music and text books he had kept aside for Edward to review.

Having finished his task, he ventured into the main room to find that Edward had stacked all of the hard wooden chairs against one wall and was sitting on the floor, deep in contemplation.

"Are you trying to build a tower?" Carlisle joked, looking at the stacked chairs.

Edward waved a hand at them, "I don't want them, but I am not sure what to do with them."

Carlisle raised a finger. "I think I know just the place!"

Edward received an image from Carlisle of the back of the building, where the rubbish bins were located.

He frowned, "I don't think the school…."

"Hush!" soothed Carlisle. His thoughts continued to a set of stairs leading to the building's basement, and a large room, clearly for furniture and equipment storage.

"Perfect! Thank you!" praised Edward.

They moved the chairs downstairs and brought up two rectangular objects (once extricated from their packaging, Carlisle could see they were sturdy platforms).

"You have much more room to work with now, room even for another piano," observed Carlisle.

"It's a shame the department cannot afford them," sighed Edward. "For this level of student you need a premier grand piano," he waved his hand in the direction of the two instruments. "The Baldwin grand pianos are a premier instrument, but despite being locally made, they are still expensive."

Carlisle frowned. He felt that there was something wrong with the classroom having only two pianos. "How many students will there be in your class?" he queried.

"Four students and myself," Edward replied.

Carlisle recognized the problem. With only two pianos for four students, the time allocated would be less than necessary for progression.

"How will you manage with only two pianos? How did you predecessor?" He was genuinely concerned that Edward might be less than successful.

"I cannot really speak for my predecessor. However from what I have gleaned," he tapped the side of his head, "his method of teaching was mainly lecture based with practice and performance time rationed out."

Carlisle snorted in disgust.

"I will probably have a rotation schedule: two assigned paper composition, notation and theory while the others play. I will most likely swap them every other day, until I can work out if there is a more natural arrangement based on the skills and preferences of the students."

He noted that Carlisle's frown has deepened while he talked. Trying to appease the obvious concern he added, "It is fine. It will do for now. If it becomes a serious problem, I always have the option of bringing mine from home."

Carlisle grimaced at the thought of removing Edward's piano from their home. It would be like removing a piece of him. Edward would have to leave home to play, reducing his time with Carlisle. Listening to Edward play was bliss and in Carlisle's opinion, his second favorite use of Edward's fingers.

He felt strongly the need to voice his opinion in the matter. "I would hope that things do not come to that. I would be concerned if the piano was moved from our home."

Edward raised his eyebrow in response.

It was his piano. He loved his piano.

It had perfect touch, tone and pitch. He knew what sound would pour out of it no matter the key or the tempo. It was _his_! Did he not have a right to do whatever he wanted with it?

He wanted to reply, but Carlisle had already moved on to another topic. "So, are you missing anything?"

"Chairs," replied Edward.

"But -" Carlisle protested, thinking of the chairs they had only just relocated downstairs.

Edward explained, "Oh, they were no use. I need comfortable chairs that they can sit in to compose, or have discussions. Not to mention when they sit to listen to each other play some of the longer compositions. I didn't see anything like that down stairs…"

It was Carlisle's turn to interrupt. "Come with me."

Feeling a sense of déjà vu Edward followed Carlisle into the office and stopped amazed at the large space he now had at his disposal. Stacked to one side were ten wing-backed, cushioned chairs that Carlisle had found.

"Will these do?" Carlisle inquired, with a very satisfied smile.

"Again, perfect! Thank you."

~*.*~

Edward, full of renewed enthusiasm, set about (with Carlisle's assistance) completing his teaching space.

After having moved the furniture (and instruments) to his liking, Edward returned to each piano to ensure that their relocation had not done any harm.

Carlisle stood in the middle of the room admiring their handiwork. The space was now wide and opening. Each piano was situated on a raised platform in (as dictated by Edward), the ideal performance position in respect to the audience, which would sit in the centre of the room on the recycled wing-backed chairs. (Each with its own raised writing table, which had been discovered in the basement storeroom.)

The chairs were arranged in a circle, but could easily be shifted to face one or both of the instruments. Pushed to the side wall, for use when required, were two blackboards on casters (for ease of movement and practicality.)

The new arrangements allowed the size of the room to be fully appreciated. In fact, Carlisle could see that there was room for at least one more (possibly two more) pianos without cramping the space.

Looking at his watch, he noted the time. He wandered to the nearest piano, under which Edward was lying on his back, tinkering.

"Edward, I am going to head off to work now." There was no comment or acknowledgment from underneath the instrument.

"Edward!"

"Hmmm?" a distracted noise came from his mate.

Carlisle, exasperated, pulled Edward out from beneath the piano. "Edward Anthony Cullen!"

"What? Sorry Carlisle! Was there something you needed?"

He gave a small sigh. Edward getting caught up in his music was not unusual. However, it became frustrating when he needed his mate to focus on him.

"I am going to work now. Are you going to stay here all night or go home?"

Edward though about this briefly, "Probably stay here. I want to go through the music and texts you found in the office."

"Alright then, you can pick me up at the end of my shift at 6am and walk me home." Carlisle instructed.

He requested Edward collect him from work as much as possible for a couple of reasons. Firstly, he found it enjoyable to have his mate escort him home. He enjoyed talking about his shift and the events of the evening, without all the distractions of the house. Secondly, he still had the lingering worry that he might once again come home to an empty house. By making Edward come to him at the hospital, he was assured of knowing where his mate was when he walked in the front door.

Carlisle gave Edward a peck on the cheek and made his way to the door.

"Carlisle!"

He stopped and turned.

"Thank you!" It was a genuinely happy expression of gratitude and made Carlisle glow in its warmth.

The older vampire smiled and blew him a kiss. "You are welcome Love! I'll see you at 6!" And he left the room.

~*.*~

Carlisle wandered into the Allen Memorial Hospital with more than enough time to prepare for his shift. It had taken him no time to get to work. Cutting across campus, the distance between Edward's building and the Hospital was less than a quarter mile. The close proximity gave him great comfort, as he was not far away for those times when Edward would need him.

As he was early, Carlisle was able to attend to one or two things before his shift started.

Leaving his office to meet his colleague for handover, he hummed tunelessly, pleased with himself for being able to settle them into Oberlin so smoothly.

The evening swept by, Carlisle felt content, the most he had in a very long while. Thinking back on it, he wondered if that last time he was this content was during their honeymoon.

Carlisle exited the building at 6am and was pleased to find Edward leaning against the hospital wall, waiting for him. He noticed that Edward had changed clothes since he had last seen him, and carried his piano maintenance kit.

_Morning, Love._

They set off in the direction of home. Carlisle looked pointedly at the bag. "So what have you been up to?"

Edward grimaced, "I **had** to tune the pianos. I could not have stood another day with them being as they were."

Carlisle chuckled, sure that no one other than Edward would have noticed anything off with the instruments.

Edward smiled at Carlisle's thought. "Also, they needed some string repair and dampening. I could not open the lids without them being so loud, they could only be played one at a time."

Edward smiled satisfied with the work he had done. "How was your shift?"

Carlisle proceeded to regale Edward with the events of his evening. The hospital was the largest in the area. As such it saw a number of cases that would not normally be seen in a town with the population the size of Oberlin's.

On arriving home, Carlisle changed his clothes, and they immediately left to hunt. Much to Edward's annoyance, Carlisle discouraged any 'extra-curricular' activities, insisting that he had much to do at home. "You could also spend some time preparing for your first class," he suggested to Edward.

Later that morning Edward reviewed a number of the items rescued from the office. He spent much of that time gently cleaning a copy of Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3 which, to his horror, had been excessively covered with gray lead notations. In a nearby chair Carlisle was sitting, totally absorbed in one of the many medical journals he received by subscription.

Just at that moment the telephone rang. Carlisle reached over to answer it. "Hello, Cullen residence." He paused. "Yes, Maestro, Edward is right here, I will put him on."

Edward moved to the telephone. "Good morning, Maestro."

His interlocutor was very excited, "Edward you must come and see something right away. I will not tell you over the phone, you have to come and see!"

"Of course Maestro, I will be there as soon as possible!" he replied, more than slightly intrigued at the reason for all the excitement.

"Good! Thank you, Edward. I will see you soon." The phone disconnected. Edward stood holding the receiver in astonishment.

He had often wished his talent worked down the telephone line, with the pair of them having had a number of conversations theorizing why this was not possible. In the end they concluded that, no matter the reason, he could not read the mind of the person at the other end of the line.

Carlisle looked bemused. "Is everything alright?"

"I am not sure." Edward replied, returning the receiver to the base. "He wishes me to go back as soon as possible. It is all very strange."

Carlisle put down his journal and stood. "Well, why don't we go and find out what this is all about." He gently took Edward's hand and led the perplexed young man out the front door.

On arriving at the music building, Edward was surprised to find the Maestro pacing outside the front door. The man stopped and beamed when he saw Edward and Carlisle approach and quickly led the two vampires into the building.

"It is truly amazing. The administration was contacted early this morning about a possible donation to the Conservatory. They were going through the process of how they could proceed, when the person advised that the items were already here!" He opened the door to Edward's teaching space and gestured for the others to enter.

Edward stopped, frozen. The room was certainly different. In addition to the two instruments he had carefully restored last night, there were now two other - brand new - Baldwin Grand Pianos.

"My goodness," Carlisle exclaimed. "Where did these come from?"

The Maestro turned to Carlisle, his excitement palpable. "We have no idea. Only that they were donated anonymously after being purchased from Baldwin's yesterday. The donation came with the request that the pianos be used in the Masters program."

The shock was wearing off. Edward was able to focus on the conversation. He narrowed his eyes at the terms of the donation. He focused on Carlisle's thoughts, and found his mate was studiously concentrating on an article from his medical journal, and in hindsight he realized that Carlisle had been thinking about this journal since before they had left the house.

Edward wandered to the first of the two new instruments. Both had been set on platforms identical to those on which the original pianos sat, and were arranged in a configuration that complimented the new room layout.

He turned back to the two men, just as the Maestro was taking his leave. "Well! I shall leave you both to it. Is this not a wonderful surprise, Edward?"

Edward nodded, flicking a look at Carlisle. "Yes, Maestro, it is wonderful. Thank you for insisting I come down."

Maestro departed, leaving Edward and Carlisle alone in the room. The former was looking intently at this mate, while the latter seemed to be absorbed with the floor.

Edward strode up to Carlisle, pushed him backwards and up against the wall. Carlisle's gaze became concerned. He had wanted this to be a wonderful surprise for Edward but was now anxious that he had made Edward angry.

"Oh, hush!" chastised Edward. He leaned into Carlisle, kissing his mate forcefully with intense passion.

He rested his forehead on Carlisle's.

"Thank you, Carlisle."

Carlisle sighed with relief.

"You are most welcome, Love."

Carlisle recaptured Edward's mouth, pouring his desire and need into the kiss. Edward moaned, pressing himself firmly against Carlisle, feeling spikes of pleasure as their hard lengths rubbed firmly against each other through their trousers.

Carlisle pushed off the wall and grabbed Edward around the waist.

_Let's go christen your new office._

~*.*~


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer – **Twilight and its characters belong to Stephanie Meyer

**AN – **Thanks to you all for putting up with my ad-hoc posting schedule, this story will continue to the end, it may just take me a while to get there.

My heartfelt thanks to **kinnetikdreams, **who allowed me to borrow her beta'ing skills for in this chapter. And to **Pace is the Trick** for her ongoing support and wonderful ability to challenge my assumptions on all things vampire.

Please note that this story will contain violence in later chapters. I will provide a warning at the start of those chapters.

* * *

**Chapter Five**

_A house __divided__ against itself cannot stand." Abraham Lincoln_

Edward had been teaching at the conservatory for a little over a month. He had never thought things could ever be as they were now.

He sat in his office reviewing composition notes written by his students. He was settling into his role as a teacher after a bit of a shaky start. With very little experience in the area of providing, rather than receiving learning, he had tended towards a flexible approach to both lessons and methodology. Initially this worked quite well until a couple of his students attempted to take advantage of his less than structured approach to learning. Upon review he decided that instead of abandoning his teaching method, he modified it, aiming for a perfect balance between structure and flexibility.

Edward had realized early on that continuing to use the previous model of assessment, which required students to only present one or two items a year, tended to make the students lazy and almost disinterested, until of course, such time as the deadline approached. In order to rectify what was, in his mind, an error of judgment in not providing the students the best opportunity for learning, he drew on his own learning experiences.

After years of being with Carlisle Edward well understood a bit about the concepts of carrot, stick and guilt.

He requested that his students submit something/anything of their work once a week. However, in line with his desire to keep things flexible, he allowed that the items could be presented as score, thematic notes or as a performance. But he did stipulate that an example of each format must be presented at least once a month.

There had been an uproar by two of the students who had studied under Mr. Phelps (they had enjoyed the lack of expectation until the final presentation). In the end the Maestro became involved when as the parents of George, a talented young man of 17 who refused to apply himself beyond the basic requirements, formally contacted the school concerned that the new teacher's methods were not in keeping with education needs of their son.

Edward was present at the meeting when the Maestro made it clear that it was Edward's classroom and that he would not interfere with his teaching style, which while different, was no less valid. Edward gleaned during this interview that the Maestro took great pleasure in the turmoil he had unwittingly created and became even more determined to be worthy of the older man's support.

Edward's relationship with the Maestro had been shaky since the revelation of the elder's Italian origins. He spent some time focused on the others thoughts and in the end reassured both himself and Carlisle that the Maestro was a man who lived for his music and the conservatory at the exclusion of anything else. Even thoughts of family were only in the form of warm reminiscences of times and relationships long since past.

The older man's mind was so passive and benign. Edward had felt a little uncomfortable afterward for feeling the need to rummage through his mind.

Once convinced that the Maestro was not a threat, he began to enjoy the older man's company. After the assistance with the rebelling students, Edward had found himself having daily conversations with the man, who started to become a mentor for Edward in respect to teaching. He also assisted the young vampire in shifting his focus and showing him how to interact with music in his capacity as an instructor, rather than as a composer and performer.

The two started to meet almost every day which, due to the Maestro's hectic schedule, tended to be in the middle of the day. Often after their sessions Edward would be persuaded to assist the Maestro with his next class. He was in a state of bliss at receiving such attention, and grateful to the Maestro for helping him overcome his shaky start.

As a result of this somewhat uneasy start, and the attentions from the Maestro, Edward was determined to be available for his students at all times, providing the support they needed to allow them to develop their work and expand their abilities.

This was best demonstrated through the creation of a new class tradition. After each class the oldest two students William and Phillip would venture to the local coffee house where they would discuss the class and generally wind down before heading home. One evening they had invited Edward, so as to continue a topic of discussion from class. From this point Edward would join them for passionate discussion, whilst pretending to drink coffee. These impromptu sessions were a joy to Edward, who was reminded of Paris, sitting in bars and coffee rooms listening to the animated discussions of the musicians and other artists. By the third week he encouraged the younger students George and Kitty to join the group, however the young woman was only able to attend after Edward had guaranteed her safe escort home by 10pm.

It was during these evenings in the coffee house that Edward got to know his students. He was able to truly develop an understanding of their motivations, their passions and desires and really see where their potential lay. On most evenings he would return to the conservatory to make notes on the student's work, or tinker with the pianos. One evening, he was in passionate debate with Will over the preferred performance style of the third movement of Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3. It was with some regret that Edward went to end their discussion, as it was necessary for him to escort Kitty home. Will also enjoyed their discussion and was loath to end it. Will, more than any of his class mates, was astounded at the breadth and depth of knowledge of their teacher and the experiences he had had at such a young age. He was determined to learn as much as he could from Edward and with that aim, had joined Edward in escorting Kitty home, so as to not interrupt their discussion.

With Will in tow Edward had a flash of displeasure from the young woman as they left the coffee house, but he presumed it was for the delay more than anything else. On seeing her off at her door (again refusing the invitation to come in for supper) the two young men, still in deep discussion, returned to the conservatory. It was during that evening that Edward became aware that Will did not have an instrument at home on which to practice.

"You are welcome to practice here Will, however I will need to be here to open and close up." Edward had invited. It horrified him that someone of Will's talent and passion did not have access to an instrument for practice. On thinking further, Edward now understood some discrepancies within Will's work which were now more obviously likely due to limited practice opportunities rather than poor understanding.

Will sighed, "The problem is that I assist my mother prior to classes, so the only time I could come in would be the evenings after class."

Edward smiled, "Will, I am usually here until quite late, and it would be no inconvenience to me for you to come back with me after coffee."

So it was arranged. After class the two would escort Kitty home and then return to the conservatory. Initially Edward graded papers and pottered as normal, while Will played until making his goodnights around midnight. This progressed with Edward tutoring Will as he played, often stopping to discuss a technical point, and getting lost in conversation on anything and everything. One evening, after a particular heated discussion on variations on a particular theme, they found themselves playing 'dueling pianos', which ended with them on the floor in fits of laughter.

Edward never knew the joy of having a friend his (human) age before. There was a freedom and delight in just being 'young'.

He was aware that things on the home front were taking a little longer to settle. They had both known that a significant change, like Edward working, would affect the normal order and routine that was central to their lives. He would spend time with Carlisle as much as possible, hunting together when practicable. Edward was quite content with the situation. He was energetic and industrious and enjoyed interacting with humans in a way he had never thought possible.

His passion and drive was such that he would often forget about home, due to work.

He endeavored to meet Carlisle at the end of his shifts at 6am, but from time to time he would get so lost in his own work the time would fly away. Many a time he would not hear Carlisle until he felt a tap on his shoulder. He would startle and look up sheepishly at his mate. Jumping up he would give Carlisle a huge hug. Who in turn would emit an exasperated sigh. On their way home he would regale Carlisle with tales of his day and night, reveling in having news to share.

~*.*~

Carlisle watched his mate, walking beside him. The young vampire chatted away about his evening. Carlisle could clearly see the confidence and joy that this new situation had created for Edward. But within this joy there was concern for his mate. Carlisle knew how easy it could be for one of their kind to become obsessive about one thing over and above everything else. He had tried over the last month to remind Edward of his other obligations, particularly to his home…and more importantly, to his mate.

Carlisle had observed his husband embrace his new role with gusto, he was astounded to see how easily Edward had fit into his new role and had patted himself on the back for clearly being such a wonderful role model for him. Carlisle was glad to see that the time and effort he had put in to preparing Edward was bearing fruit and had seriously thought about writing up his observations and sending them on to Eleazar to assist ease minds, both in the US and Italy, about Edward's long term stability and assimilation. In the end he decided against such a measure as he did not want to be seen to be bragging, he had clearly known his mate better than they ever would. He also recognized (after some thought) that Edward may not be happy to hear that Carlisle was communicating about him to the others.

But underneath his pride and joy in his mate's seeming seamless entry into society, Carlisle was plagued with doubts and concerns. He was eternally thankful that at these times, he had been able to develop a modicum of control in regards to blocking Edward's access to his thoughts.

Over time he had been able to limit the broadcasting of his thoughts to Edward. Together they had investigated the young vampire's talent and the most effective methods for blocking it. Initially their experiments were based on the whimsical notion that Carlisle wished to surprise Edward every now and then. Carlisle had often found it useful, particularly when he was aware his thoughts may anger or distress his mate. Many of his deepest concerns over his mate's newly found independence were locked away from Edward, only to emerge when Carlisle was assured that distance or distraction meant Edward would not be able to hear them.

The smallest of his concerns, but one that had an immediate day to day impact was Edward's neglecting his household duties. In the past Edward had been naturally responsible for the maintenance of the household while Carlisle was at work. Now that they both worked Carlisle tried to help where he could. However the nature of his role (he may be called out at a moment's notice) meant that he felt he could not be relied upon to maintain the house, while Edward's job with standard hours and so on had more flexibility. Carlisle had felt that this arrangement was appropriate and suitable for them, but was happy to review and change something if necessary, in the event that Edward had a period of increased workload.

Over the month he had witnessed a reduction in standards around the house. A number of times Carlisle had needed to remind Edward to complete some chore or another. Indeed once it had been necessary for Carlisle to get up from the book he was reading to remind Edward to collect wood for the fire. While they didn't actually need the fire, he felt it was necessary to give the impression of a normal human household. Upon returning with the wood, Edward had made so much noise, that Carlisle had felt obligated to ask the young vampire to re-stack the pile so that they would not drop and clatter as much. As the young vampire exited the room, Carlisle murmured a quiet thank you, having never looking up from his book the entire time.

This minor issue became a major inconvenience when Carlisle was unable to find a clean and pressed shirt in his wardrobe. He had only just returned from the hospital, when he was called back to work an earlier but unplanned shift. After finding his wardrobe bare, and thinking Edward had not had the opportunity to put the clean clothes away, he entered the laundry room, to find two piles of dirty clothes. He stormed into the sitting room and complained strongly that Edward had been neglecting his duties.

After chastising the young vampire for a few minutes, he waited for an explanation. Edward explained that he was going to get the task done today, but that he was a little miffed that Carlisle held him responsible for the hospital's change in schedule. Carlisle had launched on that statement with gusto, reminding Edward of his obligations and duties to their household and suggesting sarcastically that if he came home in the evenings rather than staying at the conservatory, he would be able to get his tasks done and still have the next day to spend with him - when he wasn't called into the hospital of course.

The sudden sadness in his mate's eyes pulled him up short. Carlisle felt even worse when Edward had explained that he liked to be physically close to Carlisle as much as possible and being at the conservatory, while Carlisle was working, allowed him this opportunity without intruding. Carlisle had felt somewhat embarrassed at his husband's quiet statement. However, inside his heart was soaring, because it was the first intimate comment Edward had made in weeks. He apologized profusely for not understanding why Edward was staying late and gently chastised his mate for not telling him sooner.

The next day a housekeeper was hired.

Despite fixing the issues on the home front, Carlisle was becoming concerned that Edward's absorption in his job and music, was becoming a blatant risk to his health and well being. This was not helped, believed Carlisle, by his mate's developing relationship with the Maestro.

His initial relief at the Maestro's apparent innocence of any duplicity soon shifted. Carlisle became irritated with the man as he started to monopolize more and more of Edward's time. Carlisle understood that Edward needed guidance in regards to teaching and methods, indeed his first confrontation with student's parents would not have gone as well had it not been for the Maestro. However he was also becoming concerned that the man was taking Edward's skill and enthusiasm for granted.

While he could not directly lay blame on the Maestro for any over enthusiasm on Edward's part, Carlisle had discovered the effect of Edward's additional work load soon enough.

The first time Carlisle had surprised Edward by walking up behind him, he had been so annoyed that Edward had not met him at the end of his shift, he had not registered the look of shock on his mate's face when he had placed his hand on his shoulder. However, as this became a regular occurrence, Carlisle had become concerned. Not only could he walk up behind Edward without the other capturing his scent or hearing his footfalls, but on many an occasion Carlisle would be able to stand a few feet behind, his mind completely open to Edward, for up to 10 minutes and the other would not react or seem to notice his presence being so close to him.

It was only after interrogating his mate did he discover that this was directly related to his job and its increasing hours.

Carlisle had been concerned that the change in Edward's life and routine would affect the young vampire's health and well being. He monitored the mind reader carefully for signs of stress, or of being overwhelmed or overstimulated which may set the boy off into anything from a deep depression to a fierce and violent rage.

While Edward's episodes were rarer and rarer, Carlisle knew that any change in their lifestyle or routine could set him off. He watched carefully as the young vampire became more and more involved in his teaching role for signs of instability and irrational behavior. He could not be too careful and monitored and scrutinized every aspect of Edward's mood to identify when an episode approached, which would require Carlisle to take him away to an area deserted by the thoughts of others so he could relax his mind.

Carlisle had accepted, with some resignation, that when his mate's emotional and mental state wavered, it was up to him to pick the young vampire back up. However he did feel that it was Edward's obligation to Carlisle to not let himself get into such a situation, it did not seem fair to Carlisle otherwise.

So when these lapses of attention and awareness continued, Carlisle was acutely aware that there was something different, something wrong in Edward's routine. Following his mate for a couple of days, he was both horrified and extremely angry to find that Edward had misled Carlisle in regards to his hunting schedule. The young vampire's teaching schedule was affecting his ability to feed enough and was putting both of them at risk.

While hating to do so Carlisle had found it vital to, once again, monitor Edward's feeds.

And so, every other morning, at the end of Carlisle's shift, Edward was escorted into the woods to hunt.

~*.*~

February saw the arrival of the largest social event of the town, the hospital gala ball. These events baffled and irritated Carlisle in equal measure. Attendance by senior hospital staff was mandatory, unless you could get rostered on duty, which he had tried and unfortunately the attempt was not successful. Carlisle was of the view that if he was to attend such events then Edward would also be required to be there, to support him in his time of need as a good mate should. This obligation however, was always met with much sulking and complaining by the young vampire.

So, based on past experience, when he advised Edward that they would both be attending the ball, he had expected a similar resigned belligerence from him as he had received in previous years. Instead his request had been met with an entirely different response, which surprised him immensely.

"I was going to tell you I have been asked, by the Maestro, to attend the ball. I indicated that I would most likely be attending with you, but would be available to help him as well during the evening."

Carlisle was shocked, "Available for what?"

"My students have been asked to play during the ball and the Maestro wanted me to assist with the selection of music and supervision of the performances." Edward explained. He was a little perplexed at his mate's shock. He thought Carlisle would be pleased that he would be willing to attend the event.

"Will this be a problem for you?" he asked. For the first time being unsure as to what Carlisle wanted him to do.

"You will not be playing!" Carlisle said looking at Edward. It was only after he shook his head, that Edward realized this had not been a question. Edward wrapped his arms around Carlisle's neck soothing his mate..

"Look on the bright side. If you need to get away from someone I can always plead your assistance." Carlisle chuckled lightly. Actually that would be a perfect way to meet his obligations and assist Edward with his work.

The day of the ball Edward wished to get to the venue early, to allow him time to check the piano and give his students time to practice in peace and quiet. As a result they left the house over two hours before it was due to start.

Carlisle had taken much care in both of their appearance. He always liked to be appropriately dressed for the occasion.

They were dressed in midnight blue tuxedos. The colour chosen by Carlisle who found the blue appeared darker and richer under artificial light and did not have black's tendency to give off a greenish cast, which made the unusual nature of their skin more evident.

Upon arrival at the hall, Edward headed directly to the piano. He had dropped by earlier in the day to tune the instrument, but noticed it had been moved. Muttering to himself he checked that the relocation had not affected the beautiful instrument too much. Once satisfied all was well, he started thumbing through the pile of sheet music, separating them into the pieces to be played by each student.

While Edward was engrossed in his preparations, Carlisle wandered around the large room. He wondered if he should pop into the hospital next door to see if he was needed.

"Don't you even dare," chastised Edward from his position at the piano. "I've never left you at one of these things. You are surly not going to leave me alone here tonight."

Carlisle sighed, it was so unfair. Didn't they understand that he was not a show pony? He hated being paraded out to the wealthy elite as the example of the perfect doctor. He knew the hospital needed a regular source of funding, but why should he have to suffer so the hospital may obtain it. He sighed again.

He stopped his wanderings to watch Edward prepare. Edward looked up and drew in a sharp breath. Carlisle followed his gaze to sight a member of the woman's hospital auxiliary enter the room. "Who is she?" Carlisle inquired, surprised at Edward's reaction.

"She is the mother of Katherine, one of my students."

Carlisle looked back to the lady, "Do I want to know?" he asked.

Edward shook his head ruefully, "let's just say she puts the nurses in your hospital to shame with her planning."

"Well mothers will do anything for their child's happiness…" he had tried to be light hearted, but was concerned that this was the first his mate had mentioned of this issue. It was clearly bothering Edward, and Carlisle felt a little surprised that Edward had not asked for his help.

Edward scowled, "initially I was fine with the situation. The problem now is that it is starting to affect Kitty's class work. Her mother's desire that she marry soon, is interfering with her ability to learn from me. Particularly as they both seem to see me as an eligible suitor."

"Do you need me to help?" Carlisle offered, being careful not to offend.

Edward looked down, "I would appreciate some assistance."

He sighed, "Her mother is actually disappointed with Mr Phelps, as she had spent much effort inviting him to tea, only to have him choose Kitty's classmate over her Kitty. As such she is determined that I be provided with no such escape."

Carlisle was both amazed and horrified that such designs had been made on both Mr. Phelps and Edward.

_Don't worry love, I will fix this_. Meeting Edward's grateful look, he turned and headed directly for the scheming mother.

Approaching her, he knew the instant she caught sight of him. The way her breath caught and heart rate sped up was a source of amusement to him.

"Hello, I don't believe we have been introduced, I am Dr. Cullen." The woman faltered, but taking his hand she regrouped and returned the introduction, "Dr. Cullen, how lovely to meet you finally. I'm Mrs Pritchard, Eleanor Pritchard."

"Ah Mrs. Pritchard, I understand that your daughter is being taught by my brother at the conservatory. I hear she is doing very well."

Mrs Pritchard started to gush, "Oh yes, we are so proud of Kitty. It is useful for a young lady to apply herself to something before she marries. Do you not agree Dr. Cullen?"

Carlisle nodded his head with a, "hmm." Not wanting to enter into the conversation of the young girl's marriage. The two conversed politely for a short while until Mrs. Pritchard exclaimed.

"You and Mr. Cullen must join us for tea. How would next weekend suit."

Carlisle took this opportunity to deflect the woman's scheming away from Edward.

"I am afraid we will not be available next weekend as we are expected in New York," he explained.

The woman almost burst with excitement, "New York? I love New York! We intend to visit with Kitty at our first convenience. Do you go often? Do you have family there?" the questions were layered with meaning.

"New York City is a lovely place and we know it well. We will be visiting Edward's fiancé's family." He watched as the woman was barely able to keep the shock from her features.

"It is hard for two of them to be separated, however she is responsible for the care of her invalid mother. It has been decided that it is best that she be with her mother as this difficult time so to not be overly burdened by distance. They plan to marry as soon as is practically possible."

Without even looking up he could feel Edward's eyes boring into him.

"Mr. Cullen has never mentioned a fiancé." Carlisle nearly laughed at the indignant disbelieving tone in the woman's voice.

"Well my brother, as Kitty will probably have mentioned, is of a quiet and private disposition. He does not talk easily about personal matters. Also it is very distressing for him to be away from Eliza for long periods of time, so he tends to bury himself in his work."

Carlisle quietly congratulated himself on quarantining Edward from the matchmakers, while also explaining away his shy and retiring nature.

Mrs. Pritchard's tone and demeanor became cooler after the exchange, soon making her excuses to attend to some urgent errand.

Turning back to the stage he walked toward Edward with a light spring in his step. Edward was very lucky to have him to fix things for him Carlisle thought. Very lucky indeed.

"What was that?" Edward demanded, "You know we are going to have to provide proof of this girl at some point."

Carlisle patted his arm.

_Don't be so dramatic Edward, it will be fine. _

"Dramatic," Edward hissed. "Carlisle the first thing you ever told me about creating a personal history was that the invention of other characters is dangerous as you can get caught out. You have never invented such a story for yourself. Why now for me?"

_Edward, I was thinking of you. I was trying to giving you the opportunity of being able to do your job without the distraction of having these debutantes fawning over you. This is the first time the behavior of these damn women could effect your acclimation and I would feel more comfortable if you were off limits to others…for your own comfort, of course._

Edward decided to let the issue go for now, he did not want to get into an argument and ruin what he expected to be an exciting evening.

More people arrived and soon the ball was in full swing. The two vampires kept close to one another as was practicable, and when Edward needed to prepare for his next student's performance, Carlisle would take the opportunity to 'assist', which, much to Edward's annoyance, usually involved his mate sneaking outside for a few moments away from the large crowd.

As the evening progressed Edward had to admit that, as irritated as he was with Carlisle's solution, it definitely worked as he could hear the disappointment of him now being unavailable. As thoughts naturally shifted to the older brother, he wished that they could have created such a workable fiction for Carlisle.

After the ball had been underway for about an hour, Edward became concerned for George. His father had declared his disapproval at the young man attending the ball, but had not outright refused his permission. As time passed Edward suspected that refusal had been made.

As George's set loomed closer Edward sought out the Maestro to discuss what would be done. They agreed to divide George's pieces out to the other students, and Edward pulled Kitty and Will aside to tell them what was happening. He then returned to Carlisle's side who was trying manfully to avoid his fifteenth invitation to tea.

Knowing that all was under control, Edward was shocked when the Maestro stepped on stage, shaking his head at Will who was about to make his way to the piano.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am saddened to say that, due to unforeseen events, our last pianist of the evening will be unable to join us tonight," a smattering of concern was echoed around the room.

"While it had been suggested that one of our previous musicians return to entertain us, instead I will bow to requests that we invite the conservatories newest member of staff to share with us all his amazing talents. Mr. Cullen would you please do us the honor of performing for us?"

Edward froze in panic, looking at Carlisle. Almost unconsciously the older vampire placed a hand on Edward's arm restraining him as the younger attempted to move towards the stage.

_NO! _

Edward stopped, looking at Carlisle in surprise. He looked back at the Maestro, who was holding a hand out in request.

_NO, Edward. He cannot make you do this._

Edward stood looking between the two men.

He was torn between the two men he loved and respected the most, wanting to please them both.

The Maestro! His mentor, and guide to the world of teaching.

Carlisle! His husband! The source of his passion and eternal love.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer – **Twilight and its characters belong to Stephanie Meyer

**AN – **Two chapters in two weeks! Trust me this is unusual, real life will impede again soon. Thank you to my wonderful Beta who in the middle of a very full real life is able to help this tale along.

Please note that this story will contain violence in later chapters. I will provide a warning at the start of those chapters.

_

* * *

_

_Edward stood looking between the two men. _

_He was torn between the two men he loved and respected the most._

_The Maestro! His mentor, and guide to the world of teaching._

_Carlisle! His husband! The source of his passion and eternal love._

~*.*~

**Chapter Six**

_Music, in performance, is a type of sculpture. The air in the performance is sculpted into something - _Frank Zappa

Edward looked back at Carlisle, unsure what the other expected him to do in front of the packed ballroom. Any refusal to play would insult both the Maestro and the Conservatory. Also Carlisle continued grip on his arm would soon draw attention to them.

"Carlisle, there are people around us, we cannot make a scene." His voice - the slightest of vibrations heard only by the intended recipient – pleaded for cooperation.

He could feel the anger and frustration in the others thoughts. "Carlisle?"

Carlisle sighed. _There does not seem to be any chance of bowing out gracefully from this. I am unhappy, but accept that you were clearly unaware he was going to do this. _

Now released from Carlisle's grasp, Edward walked slowly to the platform and quietly murmured to the Maestro, "This was supposed to be about the school and its students. I am not sure it is a good idea."

The Maestro looked at him, shocked. "Nonsense! I am sure Dr. Cullen would agree it is an excellent opportunity for the parents of future students to see how talented you are and all that you have to offer their children." He then delivered the most compelling reason: "And considering your age, it may help."

They both looked over at Carlisle, the Maestro with a smile and Edward with worry. Carlisle was increasingly unhappy. He was worried at how the older man had found additional ways for Edward to be integrated within the community, without Carlisle having the opportunity to vet the situation as being appropriate for the volatile mind reader.

But looking at the two on the platform, he forced a smile. _It is OK, I am here._

Edward went to the piano, sat and started playing the first piece in George's set.

Slowly the room become quiet as the music permeated the room. Carlisle glanced around, proud of his husband's talent and how he could literally own a room within seconds. At the conclusion of the set of three pieces, there was a hush throughout the audience, followed by rousing applause.

_Beautifully played, Love. Thank you! _

Edward threw him a grateful smile and went to leave the piano stool, when the Maestro came up and held his arm.

"I am sure you would like to again thank Mr. Cullen for such a wonderful performance..."

_Uh! Oh!_ Thought Carlisle.

_He is going somewhere with this._

"It will not surprise you to know that this young man, with such a wonderful talent for performing, is also a fine composer. I would like you to join with me to impose on Mr. Cullen one more time, and ask him to share with us one of his original works."

As the crowd started to applaud, Edward looked up at Carlisle, now truly panicked. There was nothing he could do while the Maestro held him fast.

The old man looked at Edward. "Surely you will not disappoint them?" He followed Edward's gaze to Carlisle, who was scowling. Leaning down, he confided, "I am sure Dr. Cullen will not allow you to pass up the opportunity to become more accepted by the local community."

Hearing that quite valid argument, Carlisle sighed in resignation. _It seems we have no choice. How about you play your audition piece, it is less…personal. _

Edward groaned internally. They were all 'personal', even if Carlisle was not aware of that.

Turning back to the keys he started to play, all the while watching Carlisle. The other was clearly agitated - not at Edward, but at the Maestro and himself. Carlisle felt he should have protected Edward from this sort of manipulation.

On completion of the piece the room was once again silent. This lasted for a heart beat before the room erupted in applause. Edward swiftly hoped off the piano stool and the platform, as the string quartet returned for another set. Carlisle made a move towards his mate, but was blocked by the crowd. He was unable to get to Edward as the other was whisked away by the Maestro to meet keen investors and patrons of the musical arts.

Ghosting Edward and the Maestro around the room, Carlisle caught the others eye. _Do you need me to assist?_

He was disappointed with Edward gave an emphatic shake of the head. No!

Clearly the young vampire felt obligated to continue. Instead of continuing to trail the other, Carlisle set himself up in an area where he could view the entire room. Monitoring Edward's progress, he looked for any signs that the young vampire should at any point require his aid.

While to keeping an eye on Edward in the crowd Carlisle was approached by a woman who was familiar to him. He recognized her as Mrs. Pearson, whose son William had auditioned on the same day as Edward, and who was now a member of Edward's class.

Greeting her cordially, they struck up a conversation. She clearly loved her son and wanted what was best for him. She talked about how proud she was that Will had been able to get into the conservatory. She shared with Carlisle her concern over her son's original plan to join the military (the reduction of service numbers since the war had put paid to that option) and that to her great relief, Will had focused on his music instead.

Carlisle was taken aback at the similarities between Edward and Will. Had Edward not gotten sick and subsequently become Carlisle's mate, it is possible the young man's life may have continued in a similar direction as Will's.

Mrs. Pearson then continued to express her gratitude to Edward for providing Will the opportunity to practice.

"Sadly," she confessed, "The household piano was damaged recently and poor William had been struggling to undertake the required rehearsal time. Mr. Cullen's kind offer to stay back with Will to allow him to practice has reinvigorated and inspired him. Since meeting your brother, Will has redirected his efforts and now seeks to become a music teacher or tutor. I for one am eternally grateful to your brother for his contribution to this change of heart in my son."

She sighed, "I do not suppose it will be possible for the present arrangement to continue once Mr Cullen's bride arrives. It would not be fair to impose on his time so, when he would much rather spend it with his new wife."

Carlisle could only nod at the observation. Feeling uncomfortable about what he had discovered Carlisle redirected the conversation to the performances of her son, which they both agreed were excellent.

After a time Carlisle begged his leave and wandered the room once again looking for Edward. Catching sight of his mate, he noted that the mind reader was starting to show the small signs of stress obvious to Carlisle, indicating that his mate needed to leave and rest. Carlisle made his way to where Edward was trapped by two society matrons and their husbands, all of who were gushing over him and his work.

Interrupting smoothly, Carlisle pleaded for his brother's release as they "had a commitment the next day which required them to retire." They both bowed and swiftly exited the room, studiously avoiding the Maestro who, Edward had observed, was looking for him with the intent to show him off to another investor.

On exiting the building, Edward placed his hand of Carlisle's arm, thanking him for the rescue. Carlisle, distracted by the evening's events, brushed off the others hand and headed off with a huff, oblivious to the hurt that flashed across the young vampire's face. They slowly made their way home with no further contact, each deep in his own thoughts.

On entering the house, Edward almost ran to his piano and started to play with a frenetic zeal. Carlisle wandered into his study, listening to the pain oozing from the instrument.

He was sorry for his behaviour at the ball.

He was not cross with Edward. The young vampire had been placed in a position where he could not refuse.

He was angry at the Maestro for not allowing Edward to back out gracefully, instead putting him front and center of the proceedings, parading him around like some sort of prize. Sadly, he had taken his irritation out on his mate who - given the tortured sounds coming from the piano – was manifestly as distressed as Carlisle at the turn of events.

Carlisle had also become very concerned with Edward's growing commitment to his teaching role and the conservatory as a whole, particularly in light of his conversations with the mothers of two of Edward's student's.

After his conversation with Mrs Pritchard, and Carlisle's creation of Edward's fictional fiancé, he suspected Kitty's mother would redirect her endeavours to some other unsuspecting young man. Even so he felt he would need to keep an eye of the situation, just in case the woman thought her daughter could 'steal Edward's heart away' from his mythical future bride.

The very need for the conversation and resulting subterfuge was of great concern to him. Edward needed to show more care in not favouring one young woman over all others. By limiting his attentions, he could reduce the risk of a young woman forming an infatuation. Carlisle was glad to be able to stop it before a firm attachment on the part of the young woman was made and Edward's pleasant good nature could be confused for a returned of affection.

The second conversation with Will's mother had been a bit of an eye opener and raised even greater concerns. Carlisle had not been aware of how much time Edward had spent tutoring the boy. On one hand he was inordinately proud of his mate for accepting his role and all its responsibilities so completely; on the other hand, he was becoming increasingly concerned for the young vampire: the time Edward was putting into his formal teaching duties and informal tutoring (and this particular student), was distracting him from his other obligations, needs and pleasures.

He made a note to monitor the relationship between Edward and William to ensure that the boy did not impose too much on Edward, and that his desire to maintain the teacher/student relationship did not create a conflict for them. They could not afford to have close friendships with humans, it was simply too big a risk to take.

During his ruminating, the music had slowed and finally ceased. Edward had remained perched on the piano stool, so Carlisle rose and made his way to the music room.

He walked up to Edward. Placing his hands on his mate's shoulders, he spun the young vampire around to face him and then knelt on the floor in front.

But before Carlisle could even think of anything suitable to say, Edward began:

"I am sorry that my playing at the ball was distressing to you, it upset me to see you so angry." Head down Edward hadn't wished to see the anger and disappointment in Carlisle's eyes. Carlisle was aghast, how could he not have seen that Edward would think Carlisle was angry at him.

Carlisle ducked down so as to be able to look his mate in the eye.

"Love, I am not angry are you. I am angry at the Maestro for his maneuver and cross at myself for not being able to protect you when you were put in such a difficult position."

Edward looked away and sighed. Carlisle gently grasped his chin and lifted Edwards head so they were now looking eye to eye.

"What is it, love?"

Edward looked up. Carlisle was startled to see that the young vampire looked like, would he be able to, he would cry.

"It's alright Edward, you can tell me," he soothed.

Edward took a deep breath, inhaling the unique scent of his mate, along with the familiar smells of their home.

"I must admit, I was upset at the Maestro manipulating me into playing at the ball. I didn't like the change in plan and I was frightened of how I would feel and react to my playing in public. But I was more worried about your reaction. You looked so, were so, angry. I was upset that I would hurt you."

He paused. "The thing is, once I started playing," he stopped almost looking to steel himself. "…I found that I enjoyed it.

"I wouldn't object to doing it again."

The last part was said in a whisper.

Carlisle rocked back on his heels, sitting on the floor. Where was Edward's insistence that he not perform in public? Where was the desire to keep it between the two of them?

A part of him knew he should be proud of Edward, that the young vampire had conquered his phobia, and was more willing to embrace sharing his music with others. However the dominant overprotective part of him remained possessive of Edwards playing in front of others, particularly his compositions.

The compositions had been created during their decade together. The compositions were cherished and dear to them both.

They were Edward's way of articulating the evolution of their relationship. They were the sum of their life together, from the routine of day-to-day to those egregious events that their relationship barely survived.

Carlisle was Edward's muse. In return Edward's compositions and performances were his gift to Carlisle.

Edward's sudden willingness to open up that private space to others evoked trepidation in Carlisle. The vampire felt, in that moment, something exceedingly precious and intimate had been taken from him.

~*.*~

March 1928

It was coming up to eight in the morning. Carlisle was wandering around the house waiting for Edward to get home. He was a little peeved that Edward had not as much as raised an eyebrow when Carlisle had told him he would see himself home this morning, and that Edward was welcome to stay later at the conservatory. He hoped that his constant reminding would be enough for his mate to recall he wanted Edward home by eight am.

Carlisle hoped the other would not get lost in his work. It was getting a bit annoying that he could not now rely on Edward to keep to time. Maybe it was his fault. Apart from his work, much of their time together - prior to living in Oberlin - had been without reference to the time of day. Edward had been able arrange his activities however he liked. Nonetheless, Edward should have known by now that the time one arranged with another was a form of contract. (Unless, of course, there were extenuating circumstances, as was so often the case for a doctor.)

As the clock struck eight, Edward wandered into their home. He was a little surprised at Carlisle standing just inside the door, "Is everything alright, Carlisle?" he enquired. He knew he was not late, Carlisle's repeated insistence that he not be late home had distracted him so much over the evening and early morning, he had ended up just sitting and thinking, before packing up to come home just prior to the requested time.

"We are going away. I know I usually plan something...umm, intimate for the day of our anniversary and I decided that in homage to our new lives here, I would do something different.

"I am whisking you away for a week's romantic holiday."

He was ecstatic at the look of surprise on Edwards face, something this big was often difficult to conceal, but the combination of his skills and Edwards distractions at work, meant that he had done what he thought was impossible. He took Edwards hands in his own," I have made all the arrangements, contacted the Maestro to get cover for your classes and everything that we will need is already at our destination.

Edward was stunned and a little peeved at Carlisle's. It was one thing to pack the luggage. It was another to reorganize his whole teaching schedule. He knew he was being ungrateful, such care and attention by his mate should please and flatter him. But for some reason he felt like he had been handled, that Carlisle had interfered in his work. He also realized that there will be a couple of things that would have been missed.

"I will need to make a couple of phone calls."

He moved to the phone, to have Carlisle lightly grab his arm. "As I said that is all sorted."

He shook off Carlisle's grasp but seeing the other frown, added soothing, "Carlisle, there are a couple of arrangements that I need to reorganize."

"What sort of arrangements? The Maestro was clear we had covered it all. Are these outside of teaching?" The last was tinged with a hint of suspicion.

Edward shrugged, "I was to start some tutoring work this week with a couple of students that the Maestro hoped might join the masters program. He wasn't aware of the timing so was unlikely to mention it. Also Will and George have been coming in before and after class to get in some extra practice, it is unlikely they will be allowed in the room out of class times while I am away."

Carlisle was not at all pleased that he was not aware of these other arrangements. Why would Edward not tell him of them? Why did the Maestro not mention the tutoring work? Or the extra practice time for the two boys?

_I wish__ you…_ Carlisle caught himself.

"I wish you had told me of these. I had wanted to get this all arranged for you."

"You did, thank you. I had not mentioned either to you, because the first is fairly new, indeed the tutoring was not due to start until next week." He placed his hand gently on Carlisle's arm. "The rehearsal arrangements have been ad-hoc and unofficial and are easily changed."

Edward turned to the telephone, "Just let me make some calls and we can go."

Carlisle sat the in the chair beside the telephone, arms crossed, waiting for Edward.

Waiting for Edward seemed to be his normal state of being at the moment.

He had planned and organized everything, to only find out he didn't know what everything was. He huffed as Edward finished his call with Maestro…and now for the call to his students.

"Hello, Will. It's Edward." [_Edward? What happened to Mr. Cullen?_]

"I am sorry but we will need to cancel our extra sessions next week, with George as well." [_So this is what he has spending his time doing! Why am I only finding out about this now?_]

"No, another time wouldn't work as my brother [_partner, lover, husband_] and I are going away for the week."

"No, I am sorry. I didn't mention it last night, I didn't know until this morning." [_Why should that be his concern? Why should he mention his comings and goings?_]

"I know you don't want to get behind. How about we organize some extra sessions went I get back." Carlisle's eyes tightened, the idea was to give Edward a break not have him create more work (more time away from him) later.

Edward's eyes shot to Carlisle's face, startled. Carlisle's cursed himself, the control he had with his thoughts was slipping with his irritation.

"Again, I am sorry about the late notice. Do your best in the mean time and I will see you when we get back." [_He definitely needed to talk to Edward again about spending too much time with his work._]

"Goodbye" and he rang off.

"Right!" he said rubbing his hands together, "That is done. What now?"

Edward knew it was irrational to be aggravated at Carlisle for organizing the surprise, but he had so much to do. He didn't dare mention the other solo tasks he had planned for the week, knowing Carlisle's patience was wearing thin.

Carlisle shook himself out of his mood.

OK!

It wasn't the start he had hoped for, but Edward was with him now. He could just pick it up from here, pretend that the last hour did not happen.

"Well," he said coyly, wrapping his arms around Edward's waist. "I have a little anniversary present for you."

Edward received an image of a lake in his mind, a boathouse and boat. His face light up "A boat?"

Carlisle nodded, keeping the thought of the boat on the water firmly in mind.

He held out his hand to Edward. "Shall we?"


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer – **Twilight and its characters belong to Stephanie Meyer

**AN – **A smaller chapter this time. This was not planned, but it felt right leaving it where it concludes. Next chapter should appear soon (holidays notwithstanding) as it was all mapped to follow this.

Thank you to my wonderful readers and very supportive Beta, I am having a great time.

Please note that this story will contain violence in later chapters. I will provide a warning at the start of those chapters.

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

_I would like a man now who is rich, and who can give me a boat - a sailboat. I want to own it and let him pay for it. My first love is the sea and water, not music. Music is second.  
~Nina Simone_

Edward sat on a tree stump waiting for Carlisle. He looked around at the swamp wondering why the other had instructed him to wait there. They had run northwest from Oberlin towards the Great Lakes, stopping to hunt just east of the town of Huron.

Carlisle had then instructed Edward to run on ahead, letting him stretch his legs, while he followed.

The whole journey had been one of Edward following Carlisle's "breadcrumbs" by way of single thoughts. This was an old game that they had not played since he was a newborn.

Immediately after Edward had been turned and the nature of his talent had become apparent. Carlisle had devised a number of games to assist the young vampire in controlling his mind, therein reducing the chance that the inundation of stimuli would have a detrimental effect on the boy's mental health. They had also been used by Carlisle to keep a firm rein on the newly turned vampire. While Edward had enjoyed playing the game once again, he had also felt a little uncomfortable that they both fallen so easily into the roles of leader and follower.

He had followed the last of the breadcrumbs to this point, a sign helpfully identifying it as Sheldon's Marsh. Sitting quietly he could smell the brackish marsh water, see a glimpse of the beach through the dense foliage and hear the lapping of the lake against the breakwater.

Soon he heard, and then saw, Carlisle walking at a gentle pace towards him. Upon reaching Edward the other vampire held out his hand, encouraging him to stand.

"I'll lead the way from now on."

They walked down an overgrown path, no more than an animal trail, moving closer and closer to the sound of the water. A couple of times they were required to leap over the marsh waters, but maintained a steady northerly direction. Coming out from the marshes, Edward found that Carlisle had led him to a lovely little beach that stretched west along the length of the marshes and east up and along a spit which was the source of the breakwater he could hear.

Allowing them to pause only for a minute, Carlisle grabbed Edwards hand and led him east to the breakwater. The bush land here was dense and they were required to skirt around the edge of the breakwater, until Carlisle turned into a small track leading into the brush.

Carlisle slowed. Edward smelled something in addition to that of the marsh or lake. The scent of wood, paint, cloth and oil excited him. Carlisle moved aside and directed Edward to walk in front smugly following his eager mate.

Breaking through the brush Edward came face to face with a small boat house. It was clearly a recent structure which has been expertly hidden among the trees and bushes. He wandered to the front of the shed and, taking a quick look at Carlisle for confirmation, opened the double doors.

He stopped at the threshold, stunned.

The image that he had received from Carlisle had been that of a vessel much like his most recent row boat. It had been a lovely little boat – just big enough for the two of them – perfect for Edward to potter around their small lake.

This was…this was…amazing!

He reached his hand out reverently, as if afraid to touch it, should it disappear.

He looked again at Carlisle for confirmation.

"It's alright, Love. It's all yours."

Carlisle contentedly watched as the young vampire slid his hand along the side of the vessel.

Edward wandered around the vessel, lightly touching the hull. He was in shock, he had expected a row boat, a small sailboat at the very most, but this…this was too much.

"How did you…?" he breathed to Carlisle who had yet to cross the threshold into the boat house.

"I contacted the designer in Massachusetts, and convinced him to build you one of this particular design!"

"You spoke to John Alden!" It is not a question but rather an exclamation. He cannot believe that Carlisle procured for him a limited edition 28 foot Alden Triangle one-design racing sloop.

Running his hand along the wooden hull, he could feel the craftsmanship. The almost flawless finish which, along with the fin keel, would allow him to glide this beauty effortlessly through the water. Jumping up to the perfectly joined wooden deck, he briefly looked toward the companionway, behind which he knew he would find two berths for him and his love.

While the mast had been stowed to allow the vessel to be housed in the boat house, he can see the beauty in it, the rigging and sails. His hands itched to raise the mast and sails, set the rigging and head out into the lake.

He wandered to the bow of the vessel, looking over the front, wishing there was water and not dirt below him. Edward then wandered to the spoon shaped stern, noting the outboard motor attached to the rear.

"An engine?" he queried.

"Just in case I need to pilot the vessel," Carlisle assured him. "I would not want to hurt your new child."

Edward snorted at the last comment, but found himself sitting in the cockpit, running his hand gently along the timber sides.

He jumped down and walked around the entire length of the vessel. On this second lap he noticed something was missing.

"Does she have a name?"

Carlisle was pleased with his decision to resist the designer's firm suggestion that the vessel could not leave the docks without a name.

"Not yet. I wanted her to be yours, completely and only yours."

Edward was overwhelmed. He had never named a boat before.

His first row boat was simply 'boat'. It had been fitting and all he needed at the time.

The other boats he had either owned or used had already been named, so he had not been responsible for giving a vessel the name that would bring her to life.

Carlisle interrupted Edward's musings. "You do not have to name her right now. You can wait until you know her better."

Edward shook his head, "No! She has to be named before we launch her." He could not explain to Carlisle why this was important, but it was.

She must be treated with care and respect, so she would look after him out on the water. Like a parent would their child.

Then it hit him. It was so obvious, how did he not think of it straight away.

He gently touched the side of the vessel.

"Elizabeth," he whispered.

Carlisle is surprised, having expected Edward to choose a more classical name from one of his favorite compositions. This however is wonderful, he is so proud of his mate for honoring his mother in this way.

He walked up behind the young vampire and wrapping his arms around Edward's waist breathed into his hair.

"Perfect! Love!"

~*.*~


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer – **Twilight and its characters belong to Stephanie Meyer

**AN – **Happy New Year to you all. I'm starting on a high note, a new chapter in reasonable time.

Thank you to my wonderful readers and very supportive Beta, I am having a great time.

Chapter Nine is half way complete and I plan to have it out by the end of January.

Please note that this chapter includes low level violence. I will ensure I provide a violence warning at the start of all future chapters whenever it applies.

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

_The manner of giving is worth more than the gift. ~Pierre Corneille_

Venturing out on the newly named vessel, Edward was keen to strike out to the middle of the lake and see how his Elizabeth would fair. Only his consideration for Carlisle's hatred of water travel - in any form - did he agree to the request that they head west along the coast before island hopping up to Point Pelee, Canada.

They traveled along well, chatting and admiring the vessel and the scenery. It was only after Carlisle had pointed out that they had crossed the imaginary border separating the United States and Canada, that the vampire started to show signs of discomfort.

"I think I need a break, Love." Carlisle admitted. Edward could not disagree. His mate did not look comfortable. While, as vampires, they did not suffer from motion sickness, Carlisle seemed to have a reaction to the water that could be almost diagnosed as such. Carlisle had speculated that the stress of many of his prior voyages had affected his mind so that he had negative reaction to any further travel, no matter how pleasant.

"Can you wait until Pelee Island?" Edward inquired. The large island had a reasonable jetty and landing for docking as he was nervous at damaging his vessel at a smaller berth.

"I'm sorry Edward, I really cannot." He points to the small island they are approaching, "How about that one? From what I can see there appears to be a jetty near the lighthouse. No one will mind if we dock so I can stretch my legs."

Grumbling slightly, Edward shifted their course to head for the small island which, according to his maps was called 'Middle Island'. "In the middle of the two countries," Edward mused aloud.

They pulled up to the surprisingly well cared for jetty. As Edward tied the vessel up firmly Carlisle wandered ashore. Taking one last look to ensure Elizabeth was secure; Edward caught up to the other, spying a boat house and beyond that the lighthouse.

The lighthouse was an unusual design. A 49-foot pyramidal square tower with a small lighthouse keepers building attached at one side. While it was clearly nonoperational Edward could see, much like the jetty and the boat house they had passed, it was well cared for which suggested ownership by someone who valued the property.

"Are you sure we should just wander round?" Edward asked, concerned that they might disturb someone's privacy.

"Nonsense," scoffed Carlisle. "We are not doing any harm. I can't imagine anyone being concerned about us having a look around."

Just then they came to a sign. **Private Property. Trespass Prohibited.**

Pulling up with the intention to turn around, Edward remarked, "Well that's that. Are you ready to return to Elizabeth?"

Carlisle grabbed his arm, "It does not refer to us, love. We have no nefarious intentions. Let's have a look at the structure and then we can go."

Grumbling, Edward allowed himself to be dragged along to the base of the structure. He had to admit it was a wonderful building which must provide an expansive view – for a vampire - of the lake and both mainland coasts. Carlisle watched Edward, "Why don't we go up? Just for a moment. No one will know."

Edward was perplexed at Carlisle's behavior, he was normally so careful and considerate of others' privacy and property. He stopped, pulling the other close, "Carlisle what about the owner, this place is clearly well-tended." While he knew the island was unoccupied, he was getting worried about just barging through someone's home.

Carlisle sighed, "It's alright Edward, I know the owner, I am sure he would not mind."

"You know the owner? Who? How?" Edward presumed it must be one of the senior doctors from the hospital, who else would have such discretionary funding?

Carlisle looked at Edward with a sheepish, but amused expression. Edward gasped

"You didn't? When? How?" Edward gasped. He is gobsmacked!

"Despite being in Canadian waters the Island has been owned by a series of American buyers since the lighthouse was decommissioned ten years ago. I made representations to the previous owner, who was happy to sell the property to us."

"I thought it would be nice to have a place to get away from it all. Sadly, the only hunting is birds or rodents, so we will have to go to one of the bigger islands or either mainland." Carlisle paused, wary of Edward's reaction.

"So what do you think?"

Edward stayed unmoving for a moment and then threw himself at Carlisle. Clutching at his mates neck he started to dry sob into Carlisle's chest.

Carlisle became alarmed. He didn't think that Edward would be anything other than pleased with the gift. While the young vampire continued to clutch at him, Carlisle supressed his irritation for his mates seeming ingratitude, gently but firmly pulling Edward from his chest.

"I sorry if this has upset you, I thought…"

Edward crashed his mouth to Carlisle's, with a kiss that turned the elder vampire's knees to water. Pulling away Edward looked the other in the eyes.

"I am not upset. I am so overwhelmed with joy that you would do this for me, for us. I have never felt so thankful or loved as today. It just feels too much."

Holding the back of Carlisle's neck he resumed his demonstration of thanks.

Carlisle held his mate flush against his body, relieved that Edward was both happy with the surprise and able to corroborate it with his actions. Edward moaned into Carlisle's mouth as their bodies wrapped around each other.

Carlisle needed to feel more of Edward against him. Holding his mate close he walked him backwards to the trunk of a large tree, against which he pressed Edward. He groaned loudly at being able to feel the young vampire in his aroused entirety.

Edward's hands ran down Carlisle's body and started to undo his shirt buttons.

_Just rip them off, we have more here._ Carlisle ordered, ripping off the young vampires shirt and pants.

Mirroring Carlisle, Edward removed the others clothes and pulled Carlisle back to him. Carlisle started to rub his hands in Edward's hair, his mouth descending to Edward's neck where he grazed his teeth along the length of Edwards scar. His scar! Absolute proof that Edward was his.

Carlisle, desperate to have his mate, turned Edward around to face the tree, and dropping to his knees, spread the young vampire's buttocks, licking and sucking his entrance, to prepare him for Carlisle. Edward whimpered and moaned at the attention, pushing his hips back to Carlisle. Satisfied with his preparation, Carlisle moved away and stood. Edward cried "No!", desperate for Carlisle's continued attention.

_Wait love, won't be long_

Carlisle turned his mate around gently and pulling one leg, and then the other, around his hips pressed Edward back against the tree at the same time he pressed himself into Edward. Carlisle kissed Edwards throat and jaw as the young vampire threw back his head in pleasure. Moving inside his mate Carlisle started slowly but quickly picked up his pace as his desire and need increased.

As the tension increased they became frantic, loudly moaning and growling, frightening the local bird life with their feral behavior. Close to his release, Carlisle started to chant with every thrust.

_MINE!...MINE!...MINE!...MINE!_

Edward could only hold on tight as his mate took him into bliss and oblivion. At the moment of climax Edward knew from past experience that Carlisle would mark him, it was a normal occurrence on their anniversary. However, as he crashed over his climax, he was given scant warning as Carlisle roared "ONLY MINE" and bit deeply into Edwards scar, taking both flesh and blood.

Edward screamed at the attack, which on top of his orgasm caused him to collapse limply onto Carlisle. Carlisle sank them to the ground and embraced his mate as he came down from his high. Lifting his head he looked at Edward with love, his eyes flickered to the young vampire's neck. Seeing the large gash his expression became sad.

He gently touched the wound, _Oh my darling, I am so sorry_.

Carlisle reached for his discarded shirt, with which he pat the weeping wound.

"This will hurt a bit, Love," he gently licked the wound, pushing more venom into the gash.

Edward hissed. His body going rigid as the venom bit into his flesh, helping the wound seal. Only as the sensation eased did he begin to relax.

"What happened?" he doesn't understand why Carlisle would have been so aggressive, so dominant.

Carlisle wiped his eyes with his hand, "I don't know Edward. All I can say is that I am so sorry, I got so caught up in loving you, instinct took over."

He looked at the wound, "It should heal in a day or so, you will just have to take it easy until it does."

Picking his mate up Carlisle carried Edward into the lighthouse keeper's house. Enclosed in Carlisle's arms Edward had a limited view, only able to see that the building was made up of a single room attached to the lighthouse by a narrow hallway.

Carlisle lay Edward on the double bed and, collecting water and towels, he then cleaned them both up. Carlisle tended to Edwards wound and then helped his mate to redress. Satisfied that Edward was comfortable, Carlisle redressed and joined Edward on the bed, kissing his forehead.

"I am really so very sorry, love…"

Edward interrupted, "Carlisle, it is fine. It just shocked me. You haven't been that dominate for a while." Edward buried his head into Carlisle's chest, taking care not to bump his injury, "You know I will always be yours." He murmured before becoming still, resting on his mate's chest.

Carlisle held the young vampire, stroking his back and arms. While both were awake they remained in a type of doze, not talking or moving, just enjoying their embrace and the closeness of each other's body.

After a time Carlisle moved Edward off his chest, kissing him lightly on the lips.

"Would you like a tour, love." He asked, his excitement of showing off their new abode growing rapidly.

Edward smiled and nodded. Wincing slightly as the wound on his neck pulled, he allowed himself to be assisted from the bed.

Looking around the room, Edward noticed immediately that there was no piano. While he could understand that the size of the room limited the options for an instrument, it would be the first time in a decade that he did not have a piano to play.

He looked at Carlisle, eyebrow raised. The other knew what Edward was thinking, it had been the one decision regarding the house that he expected Edward to be disappointed with, but it was one on which he was not willing to budge.

"I know, Love. But I thought this would be an opportunity to be away from work."

Edward didn't want to argue with Carlisle, but felt a little put out as his music was not just his work, but a part of his very being.

With Carlisle watching him, he wandered around the room, past the lounge chairs and writing desk. He noticed that the veto against work and music went further than the piano, with room lacking a gramophone, music books or staff paper for him to play, read or write.

Toward the back of the room sat a large reading chair, clearly for Carlisle's use, which sat in front a wall length bookcase. The bookcase was full. Full, Edward noticed, with medical journals and books. His back still to Carlisle, Edward was able to disguise the anger that flittered over his face. So the idea was not to have reminders of work, it was to not have reminders of 'Edward's' work.

Resetting his expression he turned and trying to be playful, he raised an eyebrow "No work?"

Carlisle immediately went on the defensive, "Those are not for me. I had thought you might wish to continue your medical studies."

Edward was unsure whether to be annoyed at Carlisle's response or disappointed that the other needed to hide his true intention. He was determined to ignore his husband's current idiosyncrasy and enjoy the opportunity of peace and quiet on the island.

"Do I get to see the lighthouse?" extending his hand to his husband. Carlisle was relieved Edward had not choosen to be difficult over his decision regarding the music. Sometimes Carlisle still knew what was best for them and Edward needed to accept that.

Taking the young vampires hand he led him up the spiral staircase to the top of the lighthouse. The lighthouse was in good condition with the mirror and lamp still in working order. A small walkway around the lamp lead to a hatch door, which open up to the external balcony. Standing out on the balcony Edward looked out to the lake.

"Beautiful" he breathed. "I'd like to go back out there."

Carlisle wrapped his arms around Edwards waist, his chest flush against the others back, chin on his shoulder. "I know darling, but we should wait until your neck is healed before putting any strain on it."

Edward sighed. He knew the doctor in Carlisle will not allow him to exert himself until he is cleared as being well. Carlisle noted the young vampire's disappointment, "how about we take a walk around the island." Edward nodded. This would be a reasonable compromise and he was interested in exploring their second home.

"Can we please put Elizabeth in the boat shed first, I am worried that she might get damaged moored to the jetty," Carlisle gazed softly at his mate, touched by the fastidious care the young vampire is taking with his gift.

"Of course we can, darling."

The stowing of the boat into its accommodations took little time, despite Carlisle's assistance.

Walking at human pace the two vampires explored their land. Carlisle was ecstatic, he had owned property before but never as large a stretch of land as the 19 hectare island.

Carlisle had taken a brief sojourn when he first settled on the island and took great pleasure in showing Edward the wonders of this new place, including the archaeological evidence of ancient human occupation, the nesting areas of the numerous bird colonies and their closest neighbours the rumrunners who had a small property at the other end of the island.

At Edwards shocked look, Carlisle explained that there was a standing agreement between the other occupiers and the freeholder, currently themselves, that each would not bother the other. Indeed he had already introduced himself to the head of the operation, who had been pleased that a doctor would be living (albeit part time) on the island, as they often suffered from injuries due to their hazardous occupation.

It was near dawn when they returned to the lighthouse.

~*.*~

The next few days and nights became a combination of pleasures. Edward explored the coast of the island, until Carlisle declared him fully fit again, and then branched out into the lake. All the while Carlisle watched his mate from the top of the lighthouse.

When Edward was not on the lake, the two undertook further investigations of the ruins and fossils on the island. Three days into their stay Carlisle declared Edward needed to hunt, so they sailed to Point Peele on the Canadian mainland, hunting in the forests near the coast.

The evenings would be filled with reading and quiet conversation, until at some point the mood would become electric and they would make love. The level of passion during their many interludes could only be beaten by the variation in locations in which they made love. Carlisle decided he wished to experience more in regards to sex and seduced Edward in a variety of unusual locals, including the balcony of the lighthouse, Edward's boat while afloat, and most unusually the bottom of the lake.

It was during one of their post-coital quiet times, Carlisle sitting on the beach Edward between his legs leaning on his chest, when Carlisle decided to raise his plans for their second property.

"I have been thinking," Carlisle murmured into the beautiful bronze hair.

"Mmmm?" replied Edward, nestling into the others arms watching the moonlight dance on the lake.

"I was thinking of selling the other house and moving us here."

Edward sat up, twisting his body to look at Carlisle, "What?"

Carlisle smoothed his hand down Edward's face, "It is so relaxing, away from it all. It has got to be good for you to be away from the noise."

"But you said you were enjoying the shorter travel time to the hospital," Edward queried.

"I did, I do. But I think the change will be better for you, for us. It will also be a good opportunity in light of the other changes in the next couple of months."

"What changes?" Edward enquired.

"When your contract ends at the conservatory." Carlisle responded, a bit bemused at the need to clarify.

"I assume that you will want to get back to your own studies, rather than continue teaching. Being here would allow you to do that without distraction."

Edward bit back his initial reaction which was to suggest that Carlisle wait to ask Edward before deciding what the young vampire wanted to do. Turning completely he knelt between Carlisle's legs.

"I had a conversation with the Maestro last week in regards to the future of the Master's program. The board asked him to make representations towards me to offer an extension of my contact for twelve months, with a possibility for extension for another 3 years."

"NO!"

Carlisle's reaction is instant and without thought. To the point that even he is surprised by it. He rapidly tried to back track, reaching for Edward who is now standing an arm's length from Carlisle.

"I mean't, three years is too long a commitment for us," he paused trying to judge if Edward is even listening.

"Edward," Carlisle reached his hand towards his mate, who did not respond remaining unmoving where he was.

"I am sorry if I have upset you. I was just shocked that this is the first time you have mentioned this. This is a significant decision that I need to be part of."

Edward remained standing. Carlisle started to get irritated with the lack of response from his mate.

_Edward! Come here and sit down._

This was an order. Edward was trained to follow Carlisle's orders.

Edward sat, waiting for Carlisle to organize his thoughts.

"Edward! Love! I think it is wonderful that the Maestro had made you this offer, but I had thought we agreed to limit your teaching to a single term, two at the most."

Edward went to speak, but Carlisle stopped him, raising his hand.

"If you want to continue, with the understanding that we will need to review your current working hours, then we can accept the Maestro's offer. But with the understanding that should I feel that you are having difficulties, we will reassess the situation and move here to the Island."

Making one last plea for the other to be reasonable, Carlisle continued.

"Before you decide, just think how wonderful it would be to return to your own studies, without the distraction of studies and masters. Focusing on your studies and sailing in such a peaceful environment."

Edward sat and listened as Carlisle dictated his future. He had to admit, based on Edward's history, he could understand Carlisle's concerns, but Edward felt he was interacting well, both with humans in general and more specifically with his class.

Carlisle watched Edward, waiting for a response.

Edward's response was firm and decisive.

"I want to accept the offer, Carlisle."

Carlisle swallowed his irritation and disappointment at Edward choosing, in Carlisle's opinion, wrong.

"OK, Love. We will advise the Maestro of our decision."

At Edward's smile, Carlisle raised a hand.

"But…I want to see you at home more, you need to take better care of yourself. If not, I will intercede."

Nodding, Edward leaned his head on Carlisle's shoulder. Wrapping his arms around his mate, Carlisle kissed the bronze hair.

"We had better straighten everything up before we leave in the morning. I am glad we had this chat," and with that pulled Edward to the ground beneath him.

~*.*~

They had been back home a week, and Carlisle was getting increasingly maddened. It was if their conversation on the last night at the Island had not occurred.

On their return Edward had wasted no time contacting the Maestro and his students and arranging catch-up classes.

Ironically the young vampire did ensure to take time to return to the lake and Elizabeth, however from what Carlisle could ascertain he did not spend any time at all at the lighthouse.

Carlisle felt, since their anniversary, he was actually spending less time with his husband than before.

One morning, Carlisle was home alone, pacing a hole in the carpet. He had seen Edward briefly the previous evening when the other had dropped by the hospital to let Carlisle know he would be going to the lake after his class so, "Carlisle did not need to collect him after Carlisle's shift ended."

Edward had clearly not listened to Carlisle's instructions. Despite his promise the young vampire was choosing not to look after himself, thus making it Carlisle's responsibility to correct the behavior.

He decided the best way for him to start correcting Edward's behavior was to witness it firsthand. While a part of him questioned how such behavior might be viewed by Edward, in the end he decided that it was his right and responsibility to ensure that his mate behaved.

He could not have Edward be putting them at risk of disclosure. God forbid the Volturi get involved because of Carlisle's inability to control his mate.

In addition this was the perfect opportunity to practice his tracking skills.

Sitting at his writing desk Carlisle planned out the difficult task of stalking a mind reader.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer – **Twilight and its characters belong to Stephanie Meyer

**AN – **Sorry for the delay. A death in the family meant it took a while to pick this back up.

However I have a treat for you, the very first** Jealousy in the Key of C Outtake [**_**www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/**_**6719324**_**/1/ ] **_has been posted today. It is from the POV of the Maestro and William Pearson. I hope it sheds some light on their part of the story.

Please note that this chapter _**includes medium level violence**_. I will ensure I provide a violence warning at the start of all future chapters whenever it applies.

* * *

**Chapter Nine**

"_Jealousy is nothing more than a fear of abandonment" Robert__ A. Heinlein_

Post their anniversary holiday, Edward threw himself back into work. He had had a wonderful time at the lake. However the time away needed to be made up. With his students preparing for performances or examinations he felt that he had let them down by taking the time away.

He had been astounded at the extravagance of Carlisle's gifts. Elizabeth was a gift beyond measure and he was both shocked and shaken Carlisle was able to keep something this large from him, particularly when it was surpassed by the purchase of the Island.

Edward still could not believe the island, but was a little peeved as it was clear that Carlisle had an ulterior motive for wanting a place so isolated. He was desperate for Edward to follow in his footsteps into medicine. While they had agreed to discuss it when Edward was more control of his own emotions/thirst, Carlisle clearly wanted Edward to start on his theoretical studies sooner rather than later.

Edward's bi-weekly trip to the lake to sail Elizabeth never included a visit to the island. He told himself this was because he did not wish to visit this wonderful and meaningful place without Carlisle. However he was honest enough with himself to admit that a part of the setup of the Island and the lighthouse still worried him.

Other than that he was content. He did not see Carlisle as much as they used; his mate's shifts were inconsistent – sometimes longer, sometimes later – and the irregularity was taking its toll on the vampire who cherished order and predictability in his world.

Still, their time together was relaxing. They had hunted and fucked (it had not been making love) on the rising blood lust. Lying on the remains of their clothing, Carlisle still firmly inside Edward, they kissed while talking of small things. Edward felt he ruined the moment by mentioning a buzzing sound he had been experiencing.

Carlisle's first reaction was shock which became concern and then an insistence that Edward's long hours and erratic feeding pattern was clearly affecting his mind. It was only after some panicked begging and pleading that Edward was able to talk Carlisle down from pulling him out of teaching there and then. And promising to cut back on tutoring and to talk to the Maestro about shortening his hours, Edward promptly made an appointment with the older man the next day.

After spending an hour in discussion with the older man, Edward was pleased with the result. He had been able to drop his extra teaching work in exchange with assisting the Maestro in reviewing and correcting the compositions of all conservatory students. Edward could not see Carlisle having a problem with the exchange. Edward could perform such work at home. Although he had to admit his office at the conservatory was the most convenient location as he could do this work while his students were practicing. He could even open the music room for longer periods for them while he worked.

Deciding to sail Elizabeth before class, he sat down and wrote Carlisle a note, updating him on events. He wanted to ensure Carlisle knew as soon as possible and felt it was better to leave a note in case they missed each other – which they did often.

~*.*~

A note?

Carlisle was livid. Did he not deserve a face to face conversation? He knew he should have gone with Edward and demand the Maestro release Edward from all extracurricular activities. Edward was just too appeasing, which meant he was able to be used and abused by those who wanted to gain from his talents.

Instead the foolish youngster had exchanged one set of additional duties for another. Of course he knew of the result of the conversation. At the time the agreement was made, Carlisle had been hiding in an alcove near the Maestro's office, which had been perfect for observing Edward during the day.

Carlisle was not a tracker, indeed in his long life he had only shadowed a half dozen individuals, both human and vampire.

He was not very good at it.

The first problem he identified was the dilemma of how to hide from Edward.

He knew from the past he could hide very specific thoughts from Edward, like the boat and Island surprise. But hiding his entire presence was harder. He knew that trying to stop thinking didn't work even if it had been possible for Carlisle. There was also the fact that Edward, at Carlisle's insistence, had fine-tuned his talent to be able to identify evasion in others; he had told Carlisle at the time that there was almost a sensation of absence which raised a red flag for the mind reader.

Carlisle was determined that to fool his mate, he had to blend in with the humans around in, both physically and mentally.

But how does vampire blend in his thoughts with human?

How on earth does he think like a human?

Where would he even start?

He had bitterly cursed Edward at this point. He depended on his mate to know the minds of others, to understand how thoughts worked, to protect them. He never thought he would have to work this out for himself.

After a week, and much trial and error, Carlisle was finally able to walk past Edward's office without being detected by the young vampire. The first day he had irritated Edward a great deal as he continued to 'pop in' for a chat, ask an ambiguous question, or just to fuck. Thankfully Edward had simply assumed Carlisle was missing the constant companionship that they had while on holiday and was quite willing to humour his mate, even agreeing to have intimate relations in three separate rooms in the conservatory.

The issue of 'how?' having been resolved, Carlisle's second worry was 'when?'

His initial intention had been to follow the young vampire at all times, however the responsible doctor part of him realised he couldn't fail to meet his obligations at the hospital.

After much internal debate and soul searching, Carlisle decided to reduce his hours at the hospital to those that Edward was teaching at the conservatory. He would then be able to flit between buildings, without fear of being missed.

Initially he found watching Edward quite pleasurable. It was fun to watch his mate surreptitiously, taking joy in the passion and care that his mate showed in his work. Carlisle was proud that his creation was such a wonderful being. However this pleasure and pride soon shifted to concern at the hours the young vampire was putting in.

The dependence of Edward's students on him was worrying, not to mention the imposition they clearly were to Edward's ability to care for himself and Carlisle.

The worst day for Carlisle started with him watching Edward 'jamming' with his students. The joy and freedom on his mates face was something Carlisle had not seen at home. Edward had been sharing a piano with the child William, while the other students were seated at the other instruments. The cacophony was both jarring and musical.

It took all of Carlisle's control when, on completion, William had rested his arm on Edwards. Ready to break into the room and stake his claim on Edward, he waited and watched as his mate sat for a moment, before standing, breaking the touch. This was not definitive enough for Carlisle. Had Edward wanted the contact? Why did he wait before standing up? What was this boy to his mate?

The evening got worse as the other students begged off their usual coffee rendezvous, leaving Edward and William to go alone. Carlisle sat and listened as the two walked into the café and talked of their music and the war and their families. He listened with discomfort as Edward was required to lie and stay within the script of their lives. As the conversation continued, Carlisle was surprised to find that listening to his mate talk about him as Edward's older brother caused him physical pain. It took everything he had to not storm up to the table and demand his mate tell this young upstart that he belonged to Carlisle.

After the evening he made it his goal to find out all he could about the young man, and do as much as he could to ensure the two were never alone again.

~*.*~

Edward was still hearing the buzzing again. He had not mentioned it again to Carlisle, as his mate had overreacted the first time. Shaking his head at the memory he waited in their car in front of the Pearson home. He had decided the previous day to arrange a school trip for his students on Elizabeth. They had talked in the past about finding the music in nature and he thought this was a wonderful opportunity.

Sadly on the chosen day Kitty was unwell, George's father would not give permission and Phillip had to work in his father's drug store as his mother has recently entered her confinement and the young man was quite depended upon.

The series of events resulted in Edward and Will together on Elizabeth, sailing to the middle of the lake. While feeling a little guilty, he was actually pleased with this result. He was enjoying his friend's uninterrupted company and took great pleasure in teaching the young man how to sail.

After about an hour of sailing Edward noticed that the wind was picking up, causing the lake to become choppy. As he began to adjust the sail, a moan from Will caused him to look up. The young man was literally turning green and before Edward could get to him, Will had leaned over the side to vomit.

Relieved that Will had not thrown up in Elizabeth, Edward focussed on getting the young man to land. The southern shore and the boat house were a fair distance but he was concerned about going to the nearby Middle Island. Another pathetic moan from Will made the decision for Edward. He furled the sails, started the motor and turned the tiller towards his and Carlisle's second home.

On reaching the Island, Edward assisted a still unwell Will ashore, trying to ignore the scent of the young man's sweat and vomit.

The two young men sat side by side on the bank of the lake, Edward rubbing Will's back as the young man tried to recover from his sickness.

Mumbling from within his hands Will apologised profusely.

"I am so sorry Edward. I had never been on a yacht before. I had no idea I would be so ill."

The young man leaned on the vampire's shoulder, the cool body temperature of his friend providing relief from his elevated temperature.

Edward, very aware of Will's body against his, stopped rubbing the others back and dropped his arm down, leaning on it behind Will.

"It is not your fault, Will. You are not the first person to be unwell on Elizabeth. Carlisle abhors boat travel as well."

Edward smiled fondly at the thought of the last time Carlisle was 'apparently' motion sick.

Now ashore Will began to feel better and finally looked around at their location. "So where are we?"

Edward smiled, "we are on Middle Island."

Looking around them Will raised an eyebrow, "should we be here?"

Edward chuckled at Will's question which was almost identical to his own when he had arrived with Carlisle. At the young man's questioning look, Edward dropped his eyes. While he couldn't blush he did feel self-conscious. "Actually Carlisle owns it."

He can hear and see the shock and incredulity in the other, looking up he gave a rueful grin.

Will, not wanting to offend Edward who appeared to be highly embarrassed by his wealth, changed the subject.

"Well if that is the case, would you mind showing me around?"

Edward nodded and they both stood. As they headed off towards the lighthouse, Will realised something.

"That week you were away, you didn't go to New York. You came here." It was almost an accusation.

"Yes," replied Edward. "That was the week that Carlisle took possession of the island. We spend the week setting things up."

Edward knew he was stretching the truth, but it was important to keep up the facade, even to someone he considered his friend. Indeed, outside of Carlisle, Will was his best friend. His only friend!

As they neared the lighthouse he knew he would not be able to show his friend the building. The sole bed and lack of kitchen facilities could give them away on both fronts.

Leading Will further around the coast Edward noticed the others thoughts were nervous and unsettled. He was frustrated as the continued buzzing in his mind, which had inexplicably become more pronounced on the island, had limited his ability to delve deep into Will's thought.

In addition to his scattered thought Will also appeared to constantly but unintentionally lean or brush against Edward. Edward attempted to move away as much as possible, however this was difficult when the path narrowed.

As the two wandered around Edward showed Will the wonders of his island. The young man was suitably impressed. However by the time Edward led Will back to the lighthouse, the young human was starting to tire.

Explaining that the lighthouse was unfinished and a safety hazard, Edward was able to refuse the other access to the building. Instead they returned to the boat.

Sitting on the jetty they talked about the island, the boat and where Will saw his music taking him.

When it came the move was without thought or planning, otherwise Edward would have heard it and stopped it before it happened. He wondered how Will could move so fast. One second they were talking about the pieces that Will intended to play during his examinations. The next the young man's lips are firmly pressed to his own.

Edward was so shocked at the feel of the other, he froze. Will took the opportunity to move closer, pressing his body against Edward, sweeping his tongue along Edward's lips. The sensation was nothing like Edward had ever experience. The warmth, taste and scent of the human created a hungry desire in the vampire and without another thought he closed his eyes and opened his mouth for Will, embracing him. A scream of protest in his mind buried beneath the longing . A load moan from Will brought Edward back to his senesces. He stopped moving and opened his eyes in horror. Pushing Will away, Edward fell back into a crouch. Grabbing his hair he wailed.

What was he doing? He didn't want this. Did he?

"No, Will. This is wrong. Why would you…?"

Will watched his friend disintegrate and dropped his head ashamed.

"I am sorry. I thought…. I mean he told me…"

Edward's head snapped up.

"Who told you what, Will?" he growled, unconcerned in his distress that he was frightening the young man.

Will dropped his gaze and mumbled. "The Maestro said...," he stopped, taking a deep breath. "The Maestro discovered I had a crush on you. When I told him you would never return my feelings as you did not lean that way and were engaged. He told me that your fiancé did not exist and he suspected Dr. Cullen was so protective of you to help you conceal your sexuality."

Edward took in a sharp breath. How had the Maestro find out about Edward's preference? He had made a mistake somewhere. Carlisle would not be pleased, to say the least.

Will watched Edward, his eyes widening.

"Was he correct? Are you homosexual? The way you reacted…" the young man felt a spark of hope, maybe all was not lost. Maybe he had just come on too strong.

Listening to Will's thoughts Edward winced, "STOP, Will! Just stop!" he sank further to the ground. Had he once again destroyed their lives?

Will took a step forward in an attempt to comfort Edward.

"I said 'STOP', do not come near me!" Edward was almost hysterical.

Tears streaming down his face, Will sat down heavily. "I am sorry, Edward. But I don't understand why you are so upset. I thought that you wanted me, too."

It took everything for Edward not to run away, abandon the young man on the island, or attack him. Didn't Will know he had just destroyed Edwards life?

".," he almost screamed. "You are my student…"

However Will was not going to give up.

"I will wait until you are ready, until I finish school and there is no conflict. Edward, I have feelings for you that I have never had before and I thought," Will's voice started to shake, "I thought from the way we…" he shook his head, ending with a whisper. "I thought that you wanted me too."

Edward shook his head violently. He ran through his memories trying to find anything that might have led the young man on. Having no experience at flirting or courting, he could not see anytime where their relationship had been too close, too intimate to make Will believe they were anything more than friends.

He heard the next question in Will's thoughts beginning with a burst of anger towards Carlisle.

"It's Dr. Cullen isn't it? He will not let you …" as Edward's body stiffened Will trailed off his eyes wide. He stood, his hands clenched.

"What is the point of protecting you, if you are not able to find someone to be with? Protecting you is one thing, controlling your life is another!"

Edward watched with wide eyes as the young man ranted, his arms flaying wildly.

"Just because he has not found someone, does not mean he should stop you from… "

Will trailed off, realization hitting him like a blow to the chest.

Edward stood. He would have sworn that he had not reacted to Will's comment; however the others thoughts and face suggested otherwise.

"Oh my…" The young man's voice was a hoarse whisper.

"Will - " Edward started, but Will interrupted.

"Oh my God," he whispered. "Dr. Cullen isn't your brother, is he?"

Edward stepped back. How was this child able to discover them so easily? What was he going to do now? How would he explain it to Carlisle?

Still shocked, Will started to babble.

"I wouldn't have…if I had known…but…YOU kissed me back. YOU WANTED ME TOO."

Edward shook his head, trying ineffectually to erase Will's words from his infallible memory.

Will persisted, moving a step closer.

"Edward, maybe…maybe there is something that you want…something about me. Something that is missing with Carlisle."

Edward couldn't listen anymore.

He grabbed Will's hands and looked pleadingly into the others eyes.

"Please stop. I have no doubts or regrets with Carlisle. I don't know why I kissed you, and I am so sorry that I have given you the idea I can have a relationship with you. I am sorry, but there will never…"

Edward couldn't continue; the look of desolation on Will's face made him stop.

"So Dr. Cullen is your boyfriend?"

"Actually Carlisle is my husband," Edward admitted quietly.

He pulled out a chain from around his neck. On the chain hung the ring that Carlisle had given him when he was first turned and then recommitted to him at their wedding.

At the mention of marriage Will wrapped his arms around himself.

"Married! When? How?"

Skipping the when, Edward explained about the community in Vermont and the ceremony they had in their house there.

He could tell that the existence of such communities was news to Will and tried to offer the distraught young man an olive branch.

"There is a community in Cleveland. We have not been involved since moving here but I can give you some contact details. You can start making some friends and develop a support network."

Will was grateful for the offer. The two stood quietly for a time as they try to calm down. Edward heard the other's thoughts as he tried to come to terms with what he has discovered. Edwards own thoughts were tearing him apart.

After a while, Edward noted the light was fading.

"We better head home before someone misses us."

The young man suddenly looked so sad and his thoughts became so distraught Edward could not but help wrap his arms around him. Will clutched at his teacher and friend and sobbed quietly.

"You will find someone, Will, I promise," he assured him. "You have lots of time to find yourself and your place in the world."

Will moved in to brush his lips against Edwards. Edward moved away with a sigh, "Will!"

The young man begged, "Please, Edward! Please, just this one last time?"

Edward mind said no, but found his body has moved to meet Will in a chaste kiss. The young man sighed moving away, "Thank you, Edward."

Stepping back, Edward's foot faltered as a sharp, garbled noise hit him. Looking out to the lake he strained to identify the source of the cry.

Will watched Edward, perplexed. "Edward, are you alright?"

Edward turned his attention back to Will, "Yes, I am fine, sorry. I suddenly thought we should head off before it gets too rough again."

~*.*~

HE WAS GOING TO KILL…SOMEONE!

How dare that evil child seduce, touch and kiss HIS mate?

From his position at the top of the lighthouse he watched and listened as his husband was lured in by Will.

Edward was too innocent not to be taken in by the young man, who clearly had designs.

The fact that Edward allowed himself to hug and kiss the hussy showed how little his mate knew of the real world, how much he needed protecting, how unbalanced he was.

Carlisle stopped horrified. Maybe Edward had become unstable as a result of inappropriate thoughts from Will.

He needed to speak to Edward immediately. But knowing this was impossible settled for quickly swimming back to shore. He needed to get things organised for when Edward got home. The young vampire was no longer in his right mind and must be protected from others and himself.

~*.*~

Edward was able to keep his composure while sailing back to the boat house. He was then grateful that Will remained quiet both in his words and thoughts for the drive home.

After watching the young man enter the home Edward drove north of town. Stopping, he tumbled out of the car and with one fist in his mouth, he screamed and sobbed. He dug into the ground with his free hand, he wanting to bury himself in the earth to conceal his guilt and pain.

After an hour he was calmed enough to climb back into the car. He didn't know what to do. He hadn't wanted to kiss Will, so why had he? Why had his body and mind reacted? And what did that mean for him and Carlisle?

The guilt overwhelmed him again. He was no closer to an answer and so pulled himself together, heading home to face Carlisle.

When he was almost home, he felt his consciousness invaded.

Carlisle was home, which was surprising considering the other would normally have been at work by this time in the evening. Pulling up to the house, Edward was overwhelmed with guilt and terror which increased when he realised that Carlisle's dominant thoughts were anger. Anger towards him!

He almost crashed the car. He knew! Carlisle KNEW!

Edward walked to the front door, shaking with fear. Opening the door he looked into the room to find Carlisle standing a few feet from the open door, arms crossed, radiating fury.

"Carlisle…" Edward whispered eyes down.

"Get inside," ordered Carlisle.

Edward found his body obeying without thought, but found he still had a sense of self-preservation; he stayed just outside easy reach of the angry vampire. The move only increased the other's fury.

_Edward, come here._

Carlisle was ignoring their agreement that he speak verbally.

Edward stepped back further, whimpering, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

Carlisle stopped for a moment, struggling to pull himself together. Edward was clearly irrational and afraid of him. If Carlisle kept pushing, it might send the unstable young vampire over the edge, so far that Carlisle would not be able to save him.

Modulating his voice he started again.

"Edward, can we please sit. I wish to talk to you about this troubling matter."

Watching Carlisle, Edward walked to the lounge chairs. He waited until Carlisle was seated before selecting a chair as far away as he could. A ripple of anger washed through Carlisle, but he suppressed it using the techniques he had developed while following Edward.

As Carlisle's thoughts shifted, Edward recognised the prickly buzzing sensation that he had experienced over the past few weeks. A sensation Carlisle had dismissed as being a result of Edward's overwork and underfeeding.

Suddenly it became clear. Forgetting his guilt and fear Edward blurted out, "You have been following me!"

If Edward expected Carlisle to deny the accusation, he was surprised.

"Yes, I have. Edward, you have betrayed us. You have risked disclosure and been extremely careless with your health and our marriage."

He watched as his mate started to whimper and shake. Carlisle smiled. If only Edward could see how unstable he was, Carlisle stood a better chance of being able to take his mate away to recover.

"I am worried about you. I am not sure you realise what you have done, how much you have put yourself at risk."

_You put yourself at risk like a… a… newborn_

Edward's anger flared.

"That is not true. Maybe two to three years ago it was valid, but not now. I don't know what happened, I don't know why." During his rant, he had pulled his legs up and started to rock. "I'm sorry, I don't know what happened, I don't know why, I didn't…" his face revealed the excruciating pain within. "But it is over with. He knows the truth about our relationship now. It will not happen again."

"Not happen again," Carlisle roared_. I would expect not! You have crossed a line that even I am not sure I can forgive you for._

Edward's guilt and despair were suddenly replaced by anger. Fists clenched, his temper rose, both at Carlisle's accusations and the fact that the other was continuing to use telepathy to communicate.

"Don't start on me. At the hospital or on the street I still have to hear these women fawning over you like some piece of meat. The way that they rub against you and KISS YOU tears me apart. Do you want me to be jealous? Because I can, believe me. I have enough images shoved in my head to attack you with claims of infidelity."

_This is different,_ Carlisle growled. _You touched him… Kissed him! You have been unfaithful_.

Edward tried to interrupt the other.

Thumping his fist on the chair arm, Carlisle growled. ""

Standing, he leaned over Edward, hands fisted at his sides.

Grabbing Edward by his shirt, he hoisted the other to his feet. If Edward did not understand, Carlisle would make him understand.

"I am responsible for you. You are my creation and my responsibility. You know the law about sired vampires and mates. If I determine that you are putting us at risk of disclosure or putting yourself at risk, it is my responsibility to correct your behavior. It is selfish of you to only think of yourself. You have betrayed me, betrayed us. In all rights I am able to punish you as I see fit. I could, if I wanted, send for the Volturi guard to help control you."

Edward's eyes widened at Carlisle's declarations, his terror returned. Despite the rules and laws from Volterra, they had always been equals. Carlisle had made a point of saying that he would never treat Edward as a subservient mate.

Edward's rising fear caused his anger to flare.

"Arrogant bastard! If you wanted me to just sit at home waiting for you, servicing your every need, I might as well be living with you in Italy as your wife."

The blow came without warning, the momentum propelling Edward into the grand piano, the instrument disintegrated under the force of Edwards's body.

Carlisle stood, his body shaking, looking at his hand in horror.

Edward rose shakily from the debris and walked around the room, ensuring the furniture was between them. All anger had left the room replaced with horror, grief and guilt. Edward watched Carlisle for a moment before turning towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Carlisle growled raising his head to look at Edward.

His horror and guilt became fear. This could not happen. He would not lose Edward again. He knew this was going to happen and was justified in his actions of the past weeks.

Edward sighed "Not far, I promise…I just need some space."

"Stay here!" Carlisle ordered. "We need to talk." He was desperate to not risk an unstable Edward leaving the house.

"I CANT right now" replied Edward. He raised his hand to his cheek. While he knew there was no visible mark or damage it felt softer, fragile. Carlisle watched the action with irritation. Did Edward not see he had brought this upon himself? And where was he heading? To the child? His new lover?

Carlisle raced to the door and grabbed Edward's arm. "You are not leaving."

Edward twisted in Carlisle's grasp trying to free his arm.

"Carlisle, let me go, please."

Carlisle wrestled Edward away from the door. Terrified, Edward fought his mate, trying desperately to escape.

Slipping out from Carlisle's grip, Edward made a dash for the doorway.

With an enraged yell _NO_ Carlisle flung himself at Edward. Grabbing the young vampire's arm he looked Edward in the eye as he twisted Edward's hand until a loud cracking was heard by them both.

Edward dropped to the ground, screaming. Holding his hand to his chest he could feel that the internal structure of the hand was shattered.

Carlisle backed away, shocked.

Watching his sire back away, Edward took flight.

He tore out of the house without so much as a look back. He broke into run not stopping until he reached the conservatory. Entering his office, he ignored the chairs and instead threw himself under his desk. He started to shake, clutching his hand to his chest. The agony completely dwarfed the feeling of discomfort and fragility in his face.

He couldn't understand how the conversation had deteriorated.

Carlisle hadn't let Edward tell him what had happened. He didn't get to tell his mate how he didn't want it to happen, how he didn't know Will was going to attack him, how he didn't want Will and told him so. Most importantly, how devastated and desperately sorry he was.

Edward sobbed in terror, wondering when Carlisle would come for him.

At home, Carlisle sat on the floor, head in hands.

He tried to work out what went wrong. Thinking about the situation he returned to the truth that Edward's carelessness and growing instability had started when he began work. When he met William Pearson!

It saddened Carlisle to realise Edward would not be capable of working, that it was best that he stayed home while Carlisle worked to support and care for them both.

Standing, Carlisle returned to his chair and stared at the fireplace in deep thought. He determined that this was Edward's own fault, in as much that Edward's condition created the situation.

The young vampire was obligated to look after himself. If he didn't it would be up to Carlisle to monitor and plan Edward's entire life – just as he had when the young vampire was a newborn.

It was Edward's fault that Carlisle had had to track him.

It was Edward's fault that Carlisle was angry

While he was disappointed with himself for lashing out at the unstable youngster, his patience was understandably not infinite.

Most importantly, he came to the firm conclusion that Edward needed to be removed from human society for his own safety….

…by force if necessary.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer – **Twilight and its characters belong to Stephanie Meyer

**AN (1) – **Thank you all for waiting so patiently for this chapter. I lost momentum for a while and was nervous writing while not at my best. I would like to once again get on bended knee and thank my wonderful beta Pace is the Trick, who helped give me a kick up the butt to get working again. A big Thank You to all who have reviewed or PM'd, I am sorry if I have not responded as I lost track when fanfiction went all wobbly.

**AN (2) – **I received a few comments on Carlisle's behaviour and the level of violence in the last chapter. Carlisle is a very complex individual. He has his quiet passive doctor image that strives to be as human as possible. However this persona constantly tries to supress his inherent nature, that of the aggressive, possessive and violent vampire. In a traditional vampire relationship (as opposed to what the boys have), Edward would have been subservient to Carlisle. Carlisle would have had absolute control over the other - including how he behaved, where he went and who he met. Chapter Nine gave you a glimpse of that vampire side, the side that can be violent and dominant which are intrinsic parts of his vampire nature and seen as normal behaviour amongst their species, particularly when their mating is threatened. His behaviour towards Edward is not intended to be seen as abusive - even though in a human context they clearly are – they are the default vampire reaction to betrayal by, or disobedience in, a mate. I hope this helps clarify events, if not feel free to PM me.

**AN (3)** – This chapter contains medium level violence, including aggressive behaviour and language.

* * *

**Chapter Ten**

_There is luxury in self-reproach._

_When we blame ourselves we feel no one else has a right to blame us. _

_~Oscar Wilde_

In the cold light of day.

Since becoming a vampire, Carlisle had never really understood, or had been able to relate to this saying.

He believed that his actions were always for the best. He never doubted them as being anything other than being true to himself and his mate.

But sitting, staring at the fireplace as the night transformed into dawn and then into day, for the first time he found himself reviewing his behaviour of the prior evening and not being proud of how he had handled the situation.

Edward had clearly done wrong and had put both their anonymity and their relationship at risk. But Carlisle was the elder. He was, first and foremost, Edward's sire and should have behaved as such, showing Edward calmly and with authority how such an issue could be resolved.

Carlisle growled at the thought that Edward clearly had not learned from their recent experience in how vampires viewed mates. During his 6 month absence from him, Edward had committed the most heinous of crimes. It was not his change in diet that damned him but the act of leaving his mate, his sire, without consent. Edward had broken a key vampire law, one that could have ended in his death.

But Carlisle had always held the belief that his relationship with Edward was between equals. He had seen enough of mated vampire relationships in Italy to have very strong views on how the subservient mate was often treated. Upon Edwards return, he had been very firm with the younger vampire ensuring he understood that their situation was, while not unique, unusual within vampire society and if he wished it to remain as such, he needed to ensure his prior behaviour never occurred again.

Carlisle had been assisted at that time by Eleazar, a one time member and respected friend of the Volturi. Edward had been subjected to Eleazar's thoughts and memories of how traditional vampire mated relationships worked, and while Carlisle had been concerned that they might be heavy handed, he felt the punishment had fit the crime.

Now sitting in their home in Oberlin years later, Carlisle decided that he was wrong to allow the relationship to continue as it had. Standing, Carlisle flexed his entire body, changing his posture from passive human doctor to that of a powerful and intimidating vampire. Stretching, he cleared his head of all things human and viewed the situation again, this time as a vampire. He needed to find and get control of Edward. Once his mate was suitably restrained, he would explain the new rules to his wayward mate, and explain that equality in their relationship would only return when Edward had proven to Carlisle that he could be trusted.

It suddenly occurred to him that Edward had yet to return home. He assumed that the young vampire had returned to the lake, as he tended to migrate to water when upset or stressed. He dispelled any concerns that the young vampire may have bolted again. The experience of Edward's prior retrieval and return ensured that he would think twice before attempting again.

Carlisle took some comfort at the thought that Edward was most likely on the boat that Carlisle had given him, calming down enough so Carlisle could reason with him.

As he mused as to his mate's current location, a noise came from a corner of the room. It started as a single noise, a high pitched 'plink'. However, it soon became a string of single pitch staccato and long rising tones.

Rising, Carlisle wandered to the source of the noise. He did a double take at the sight of the piano before recalling that it was damaged during the argument, however; he had not recollected how absolute the destruction had been.

The sun had risen and was shining directly through the uncovered window. The morning light shone directly onto the pile of wood, ivory, and metal resting on the wooden floor. The sounds came from the centre of the carcase, the sunlight warming its innards which caused the strings to expand and contract.

Every now and then the 'pings' and 'whines' were punctuated by a loud 'twanging' noise as a string finally surrendered to the inevitable.

Watching both bemused and horrified, Carlisle recalled Edward telling him once that each piano had a musical soul unique to each instrument. This soul was released by the performer who helps the piano to life.

He had quoted Wassily Kandinsky quietly, "_Colour is the key. The eye is the hammer. The soul is the piano with its many chords. The artist is the hand that, by touching this or that key, sets the soul vibrating automatically." _

Before continuing to state that when damaged or destroyed, a piano's soul would release, freeing the music to the heavens. At the time, Carlisle had thought Edward's comments to be fanciful, the murmurings of a slightly unstable being trying to make sense of a world that bombarded him daily.

But standing, watching, and listening to the instrument, he knew he was watching something die. This was something beautiful, more than its value as a gift from Carlisle to him. It was a part of his mate, a part of his very being, something that Carlisle had destroyed when he slapped Edward. He had caused Edward to land on the piano.

He **was** responsible.

His posture morphed back to his human illusion.

He collapsed to his knees, bending so his forehead touched the floor, sobbing violently.

"Oh! No! Please God! **I** am responsible."

Edward's behaviour may have been inappropriate. But Carlisle's had been reprehensible. Instead of trusting and talking to his mate, he had hidden away refusing to face his concerns and then committing the worst of the worst possible: he had struck Edward.

He was no better than the others of their kind, those whose behaviour towards their mates he had sworn never to emulate.

As he stared at the instrument, the noise started to become a representation of the failure he had made. Soon he could not tolerate the noise as it reminded him of both his and Edward's failures in his relationship.

He suddenly realized he had always expected Edward to betray him again. Despite the progress they had made since Edward's return, Carlisle was shocked to realize he never truly trusted Edward to maintain his side of the bargain.

The piano was starting to grate on his senses and in a desperate act to dent his involvement in the breakdown of both the instrument and the relationship, he carried it, section by section, with great care and tenderness to the shade of Edward's favourite tree, laying the instrument down in as close to its original form as he could, considering the instrument was disintegrating. The body seemed to fall open like a flower, leaving the innards to play their death song to the sky.

Returning to the house, he tidied up the remains of the fight, wanting Edward to come home to no reminders of the events, so they could try to start afresh again. Once he was assured that all was as before, Carlisle grabbed his hospital bag and left the house. Picking up Edward's scent, he was surprised that it did not head in the direction of the lake, but made a clear path into town.

Following the scent of his mate, he started to get angry at the thought that Edward was heading towards that boy - the one that ruined everything. Stopping, Carlisle tried to swallow his anger, reminding himself that the human boy was only able to take advantage due to the rift in the relationship. Once Edward and he were back together as they should be, the boy would become irrelevant. He continued to try and convince himself of this until in his surprise and relief, Edward's scent turned towards the conservatory. He was a little chagrined again at his lack of faith in Edward. Of course his mate would head towards the place that had become his second home in Oberlin.

Entering the building, he considered charging into Edward's office, taking his mate in his arms and away from this awful place. He remembered that Edward was hurt, his hand damaged. The extent was not known to Carlisle, but his knew from his scant memory of that night, that he had crushed most of Edward's fingers which, unless the younger vampire had managed to re-set, would be healing poorly.

~*.*~

One of the first things Edward became aware of was that the pain in his hand had decreased; he looked down at the limb and instantly wished he had not. A sob of horror broke free from his chest as his eyes fixed on his mangled hand. His vampire qualities had healed the limb, however; due to the way in which the damage had been done, the fingers had healed twisted and fused to each other. His thumb was bent towards the back of his hand, which in itself was twisted so that the fingers of his hand faced upwards.

Dragging his eyes from the limb, he reached for a scarf lying on a nearby chair and wrapped up his hand, more so that he could not see it than any attempt to bind or sooth it. As day dawned, he heard the conservatory come to life. Voices and minds entering the buildings, speaking and thinking of normal everyday things, classes, tutorials, rehearsals, exams, assignments, and the related excitement and anxiety.

He heard a knock on the office door. It was eight in the morning; he knew instantly it was the Maestro.

"Edward?" the old man called, "Edward, are you there?"

Edward pulled himself further under the desk; the temptation to call out to the man and beg him for help was overwhelming. But how was he to explain the hand and the nature and reasoning behind the altercation with Carlisle, without giving away their secrets.

Confused at Edward's absence, particularly since they have a meeting scheduled, the Maestro continued to knock on the door for a minute before absolutely deciding that the young man had not stayed all night as he was often wanted.

Seemingly unconsciously, the Maestro glanced out the opposite window, noting that the initially sunny day had turned overcast, he wandered away intending to ring the house just in case Edward was unwell.

Edward heard the elderly man depart and eased himself out from under the desk. He started to pace the room like a wounded animal trapped in a cage. He honestly did not know what to do now. He didn't realise Carlisle had that much built up stress and anger. How could he have missed that? Why did Carlisle hide it from him? He would have stayed away from Will if Carlisle had indicated any sort of jealousy or discomfort. Edward now deeply regretted developing a friendship with the young man.

So caught up in his thoughts, the soft knock on the door between the classroom and his office caused him to start and without thinking he threw himself back under the desk.

~*.*~

Even without the trail of his scent or movement in the room in reaction to his light knock, Carlisle knew Edward was in the room. He was aware of his mates presence at all times; their physical bond was absolute.

"Edward!" he whispered through the door.

_Edward, Love! Can I please come in?_

He leaned his head against the door.

_I am not angry, love. _They both knew this was not quite true. _I mean, I was angry, but I can see now that I lead you to do what you did. Let me in and we can talk about this. We can decide together what happens now._

He paused and decided to take a different tact.

_Sweetheart, I am so sorry I hurt you. Let me in, so I can mend your hand. I know it must be troubling you…_

Carlisle stopped as a whimper emanated through the door.

_Please, Edward! Let me look at it__; I know I can heal you. I can stop the pain and distress._

Carlisle waited on his side of the door for any indication that Edward was listening to him.

"Please, love. I know I overreacted but sometimes it is so hard to share you with the world. I love you so much and I will not lose you again."

He took a deep breath. He was getting upset again at the thought of Edward leaving him.

_Edward! We are bound to each other__; you know that. We cannot leave one another without risking the attentions and coveting of __Italy__. We have to work through this. We have to sort this out ourselves._

His frustration was growing and he was on the edge, he should not have been begging the other to come out. Edward should have been asking for his forgiveness. Knowing that Edward could hear those thoughts, he berated himself.

"I know you can hear me, and you must know I am upset. I am only worried for US, for you and me. We have both made mistakes and it is my role as coven leader and your sire to help you through this confusing time."

_Please, my Edward! My Love, Please!_

_Don't make me come in there!_

The thought slipped from Carlisle's mind along with a growl that he had been trying to supress. Damn this, he should just break the door down and take the other away.

About to pull the door from it hinges, he hears another approaching, and a light knock on the main office door gave him pause. He waited quietly until the visitor left. Placing his forehead on the door he sighed.

Carlisle wanted Edward to come to him, but accepted that the young vampire had holed himself up in the office in relative public view to avoid him. Despite this, Carlisle was comforted that while Edward remained hidden away, he was no risk to himself or others.

"Edward! I am going to leave you be for now and go to work. I will be back on my break and again at the end of my shift, but I don't want to pressure you. I know you are scared, and I am desperately sorry that I have been responsible for that. But you need to trust that I am sorry and I will do anything I can to fix this."

Before tearing himself away, he laid a palm flat on the door.

_I will always love you no matter what you do._

"I will be back. Don't go anywhere!"

The last was an order, something Edward had been trained to follow while a newborn for his own protection and the only thing Carlisle could think of to keep Edward in one place.

Sighing, he turned and walked away, bitterly disappointed but also hopeful. Edward may not have spoken to him, but equally the other had not screamed at him or run away.

~*.*~

Time progressed in flashes for Edward broken only by visitors to his door. Some just knocked and left, some called for him, one begged for entry, and then there were two who came into his mind, calling him, talking to him. Edward was too lethargic to wonder why Carlisle had two voices, but he took comfort in the soothing way the voices spoke to him.

Of all the visitors, there were two consistent in their attendance and also notable in that, except for one time where loud and harsh words were spoken, their visits never coincided - Carlisle and Will, the two other individuals involved in his personal tragedy. Both knew he was in the office and both tried to get him to open the door.

Slowly his mind turned inward as the pain in his hand was overtaken by his unbearable thirst. The voices around became indistinguishable from one another, blending into an amorphous mass of sound, light, and colour. As it all became too much, his body and mind shut down and resulted in him sitting, catatonic, on the floor.

~*.*~

The first day of returning to stand outside Edwards's door was vexing for Carlisle, while the second day of the same was upsetting and infuriating. On the third day, his frustration started to peak and he was determined to remove Edward from the room. Moving purposefully down the corridor, he was met with the unwelcome sight of Will talking at Edward door.

His rage was uncontrollable. Stalking to the young human he pulled Will away from the door and threw him to the far wall with a snarl.

"Get away from him," yelled Carlisle, ready to pounce on him as a follow up to his threat.

Frightened and panicked, Will hugged the wall he was thrown against. With tears in his eyes he stammered. "D…d…d…doctor Cullen? Please, I am just trying to help, I was worried for Edward."

Carlisle sneered at the young human, "Worried were you? Worried that he might tell others of your blatant assault of your teacher? Worried that he might show you for the slut that you are?"

Carlisle was now face to face with the young man, he could hear the young man's heart flutter in fear, see the sweat rolling down his face and neck, and smell the blood running through Will's veins. Leaning in close to the boy, he ran his nose from the boys jaw to temple, inhaling deeply.

He could feel the boy's body tremble as he leaned into him. All it would take is one moment, one action, and this boy would no longer be a threat, no longer a distraction fluttering in the back of his mind.

"Dr Cullen?" the voice made Carlisle's head snap up and he saw the Maestro approaching the pair of them, his movements careful and precise as if approaching a dangerous animal.

It was at that moment that Carlisle realised that the boy in front of him was terrified, tears running down his pale face. Pulling away from the boy, Carlisle is disorientated and backs away disturbed at his thoughts and actions. His body jerks as a hand wraps around his arm, he turns his head to look directly in the eyes of the old man.

"Carlisle, I think your conversation with Will is over, is it not?"

Carlisle looks again at the boy and cleared his throat. "Yes, yes Maestro."

His eyes flicker to the boys. "Yes, I am sorry. Sorry!" the last said quietly and directly to Will.

The young man wiped his eyes and nose with his sleeve and pushed off the wall clearly aiming to move past the two men. The Maestro let go of Carlisle to then grab Will. The young man turned in panic, but then seeing who held him, relaxed.

"Will, why don't you and I go and sit in my office for a while," the Maestro instructed. He then turned to Carlisle. "Dr Cullen, we will leave you alone. Please come and see me when you are done."

Carlisle blinked, dazed as he watched the retreating figures. Shaking his head he turned back to the door behind which was the individual who was the reason for the three others being in the hallway.

Leaning against the door he whispered, "Please, love. Let me come in. Things are falling apart out here."

Carlisle spent two hours talking to a door, shifting from violent rage to begging, and then to sobbing, and back again. Upon taking his leave, promising to return later that day, Carlisle dropped into the Maestro's office. Besides confirming that the maestro and, subsequently, Will knew that Edward was holed up in his office, Carlisle was not able to glean anything further from the old man.

~*.*~

It had been four days since Will had become aware (thanks to the Maestro) that Edward was hiding in his office. It was not a huge intellectual leap for Will to determine that their kiss on the island had something to do with the situation. This was confirmed by the terrifying encounter with Dr Cullen. The man was monstrous and Will he was absolutely sure that had the Maestro not appeared his life would have been at risk.

None of this, however, deterred will from his twice daily visits to the music room where he played and talked to the closed door. Each time hoping beyond hope that Edward would emerge, so Will he could again apologise for his actions, and obvious consequences.

Watching from a distance, he made sure he saw Dr Cullen leave the conservatory in the direction of the hospital. Walking up to the building, he slowed at the sight of the Maestro leaning against the doorway.

"Meastro?" he enquired.

The old man nodded, "Will, I think we need to do something, it has been too long."

Handing the young man a key, he started to turn around, Will grabbed his hand looking at the key with shock.

"Why not before?"

The Maestro turned. "I had hoped things would resolve themselves, but Edward cannot have had any nourishment for all this time and I am sure Dr Cullen will appreciate having the young man returned to him."

The old man released himself from Will's grasp and walked away.

Grasping the key tightly, Will raced into the building. Skidding to a stop at Edward's office doorway, he unlocked the door and swung it open.

Nothing could have prepared him for what he saw in that room.

The room was pristine, not a book or chair out of place. It was as it always had been, immaculate. The only difference was the location of the single occupant. Rather than sitting at the desk or in one of the armchairs, Edward was curled up, head down, one arm wrapped around his legs while the other bound in a ragged scarf hung loosely to the floor.

The arm wrapped round Edward's legs was bare but contained a number of vicious bite marks, as if Edward had tried to eat his own arm.

Will crept closer. "Edward?" he breathed.

Crouching down he bent over so he could looked into Edward's face. He gasped in shock at the scratches on the others face, but it was his eyes that disturbed Will the most. Edward's eyes were wide open and pitch black, showing no signs of any colour and if it wasn't for the soft keening noise coming from the others chest, Will would have assumed that his tutor was dead.

"Edward, please. Can you hear me? Can you talk to me?"

The other remained unresponsive. Will decided to take matters into his own hands. Slipping his arms around Edward, he lifted him up, surprised at how light the other was, he then cradled the other in his arms and moved purposefully out of the building (not noticing the Maestro watching from the upper storey window) and headed towards the hospital.

~*.*~

Carlisle was standing at the nurses' station, finalising his paperwork before taking his break and returning to his vigil of Edward. He had decided that he would break into the office that day and remove Edward to the lighthouse. He had had enough and he was no longer sure Edward was even 'compos mentis' desperately concerned about his mate's long term mental and physical health.

He fretted over the situation throughout the day. Wondering how he would manage Edward if his mental capacity had been irrevocably damaged by the events.

Would he need to be with the young vampire at all times, thus not being able to work?

Would he need to feed his mate permanently by hand?

Would he be able to protect Edward from the Volturi, who looked on disabled vampires as a risk and suitable for euthanasia?

His musing was interrupted by a sensation that was both familiar and unrecognisable. Carlisle dropped his pen on the desk and strode towards the waiting room. It was Edward, he was sure of it. The young vampire had come to his senses and was returning to his sire.

Entering the room he stopped in shock. There was that hussy Will with Edward in his arms, talking to one of Carlisle's colleagues. Racing to Will's side, Carlisle grabbed Edward. At first Will resisted handing the comatose being over, but the memory of his last interaction with Carlisle made him give Edward up.

Carlisle thanked his colleague for his time and raced into a private cubicle and gently placed Edward on the bed. His desperate concern for Edward meant he was not aware of Will following him into the room. Sensing the intruder, he turned aggressively on the boy. He hated the human with his entire being, but he needed information.

"How did you get in the office? Did he let you in? Did he speak to you?" he growled face to face with the frightened Will.

Will swallowed, diverting his eyes. "The…the…Maestro gave me a key. I went in. Edward did not react at all so I brought him here."

The attention of the other made the boy braver.

"What happened? Why was he hiding like that? What did you do to him?"

Carlisle instantly had the human backed against the wall, his forearm against Will's neck.

"Leave! Now!" he growled.

Pulling a terrified Will from the wall, Carlisle shoved him out of the room before turning back to Edward.

"Edward! Love! It's Carlisle. I am going to examine you and then we will go somewhere safe so that you can get better."

Carlisle's examination confirmed what he had feared. Edward's hand had healed badly and would need to go through the painful process of re-breaking and setting. He also noted the multiple self-inflicted bites marks where the young vampire had tried to remove blood from his own body before it was absorbed in a desperate attempt to satiate his thirst.

Bundling together a number of medical items for treating Edward's hand, Carlisle signed out of his shift, and carrying Edward, walked to the town boundary before increasing his pace and racing to the boat house.

Carlisle gently laid Edward in the cabin of Elizabeth and then launched the vessel motoring to Middle Island. Steering the vessel across the lake, he allowed himself to reflect on Will's statement that the Maestro had provided him with a key to Edward's office. Carlisle had not even considered asking for a key and was angry that the Maestro would offer it to the child over Edward's family.

Unable to fathom this lack of consideration he focused on his destination.

Mooring at the island, Carlisle gently lifted Edward and swiftly ran to the lighthouse, placing his mate gently on their bed. Taking pause he looked down at his beautiful mate, running his hand down Edward's face, he then continued along the young vampire's chest to his waist, pelvis, and groin.

His ghosting touch of Edward's thighs set off a light shudder through the young vampire's body. Carlisle looked up at Edwards face and watched the vampire blink, once, twice, and then a third time. Initially pleased that Edward not only showed signs of awareness but that it was in reaction to his touch, Carlisle then noted the stench on Edward resulting from days of immobility. Ever conscious of cleanliness and hygiene, Carlisle moved quickly to prepare water, soap, and towels with which to wash Edward.

Making soothing sounds and sending thoughts of his love and devotion the entire time, Carlisle gently removed Edward's clothing and washed his mate with great care, taking particular care of the deep bite marks on his arm. Reaching the damaged hand, still wrapped in the scarf from Edward's office, Carlisle paused before removing it entirely.

If he could have vomit he would have, the damage and subsequent healing had mangled the limb beyond recognition. It would take a number of separate re-breaks to repair the hand and they may have to face the fact that the hand would never be the same again.

But he would cross that bridge when they came to it.

While redressing Edward, Carlisle started to plan his next move. Thinking it through he decided that the best course of action was to start the repair of the hand while Edward was comatose, hopefully reducing the pain and distress of the treatment.

Looking closely at the prone figure, Carlisle really perceived the extent of the deprivation that the young vampire had endured. He was loath to start the treatment of the hand until Edward had at least a minimum amount of blood.

Initially planning for him to hunt and then let Edward feed from him, Carlisle shook his head realising the flaw in that plan. The time that it would take for Carlisle to leave, hunt, feed Edward, treat the hand, and then leave again, would prolong the process far too much. Additionally he would need to leave Edward for extended periods of time which could be a risk as the young vampire got stronger.

But the main flaw in the plan was the simple fact that animal blood, whether imbibed directly or indirectly, would be insufficient to provide the degree of healing required to repair Edward's hand.

Edward needed human blood.

Carlisle would never, could never, deny Edward what he needed.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer – **Twilight and its characters belong to Stephanie Meyer

**AN (1) – **Thank you again for waiting so patiently for this chapter. Thank you to the support of all my readers and reviewers. Most of all to a wonderful group of C/E writers who help keep me and my story on track. A big thank you to my wonderful beta Pace is the Trick and my fellow student of grammer sandraJ60 without both of whom I would never have gotten this story this far.

**AN (2)** – This chapter contains low level agression, including aggressive behaviour and language.

* * *

"_Desperation is sometimes as powerful an inspirer as genius."_ Benjamin Disraeli

Carlisle ran like he never had before.

The thought of having to leave his injured and comatose spouse locked in the lighthouse tore at his heart and mind. But there was no choice. Edward needed blood, human blood, and Carlisle needed precision instruments to repair the damage to Edward's hands and fingers.

He motored Edward's boat to the jetty. He had initially planned to swim, ignoring the discomfort in exchange for the speed. However, he quickly realised he would need the boat to carry his precious cargo. He also felt it was safer in the unlikely event Edward should wake and try, in his delirium, to leave the island.

His foot tapped the deck impatiently for the entire crossing. The moment his feet hit earth he sped towards the house where they had lived. This was no longer their home, just one in the string of buildings which they had parked their belongings for a time. He made a note that they would need to clear it out of their belongings once he had seen to Edward.

That was a task for later, at that moment he needed his instruments and some spare clothes. Nothing else was of import; the lighthouse was stocked with items for cleanliness and hygiene. It also had items for Carlisle to read and things to do while he treated Edward's hand and planned their next move. This was going to be rough on them both.

Reaching the porch of the house, Carlisle stopped short.

The scent of human was pervasive.

A single human had waited on the porch for a long time constantly moving, pacing the small area before moving off the porch and around to the back of the property to the back door. Carlisle then followed the scent to the tree where the decomposing piano lay and then back to the front of the house. The trail was easy to track; the human was full of fear. Returning to the porch, Carlisle noted a slip of paper under the door. Opening the door, he found an envelope with Edward's name on it.

"How dare you!" he growled at Will's letter, tearing the thick manuscript paper into small pieces, letting them drop to the ground. He entered the house, relieved that the human's scent did not precede him. He looked around and noted that it was only the absence of the musical instrument and its owner that indicated that anything was out of order.

Carlisle walked past the void to his study and collected a small bag containing his best surgical instruments as well as a number of pressure bandages and splints.

Moving to the bedroom, he took a knapsack down from the wardrobe and placed the medical equipment in the bag. Moving to the dresser, he selected firm leather gloves. On assessment of Edward's hand, he decided that the gloves would assist the other bandages. By keeping the fingers separate during the rapid vampire healing process, the glove would assist in stopping the digits re-fusing, thus undoing Carlisle's work.

Returning downstairs, Carlisle was going past Edward's study area but paused when he noticed his mate's journal on a side table. In a last minute decision, he picked up the journal and carefully placed it in the rucksack. Returning to his study, he ferreted out his current diary, along with important legal and financial documents, and placed them in the bag, pleased at his foresight in case he could not return until sometime later.

Satisfied he had the necessary items, he exited the house. Standing on the porch, he stared out at the scenery. He needed blood for Edward, human blood…and a lot of it. Five pints would be the minimum he required; however, if he could obtain a whole human adult, the ten pints contained within the body would cover his mate's entire need.

As he contemplated his options, a small object fluttered gently against his cheek. Carlisle caught the distracting object and wondered at it before realising it was a piece of the letter he had shredded, subsequently caught up in the swirling breeze.

Releasing the fragment he watched it waft away.

As he watched, an idea crossed his mind.

It was an idea he would typically have found abhorrent. But in this time and place it provided the perfect solution to his problems. That is his mate's critical need – blood, and his mate's critical error - Will.

The more he thought this over the more he convinced himself this was the perfect solution, both in problem solving and symmetry.

Edward needed blood and William Pearson was the perfect donor. The boy would come willingly with Carlisle with the promise of seeing Edward. The child's misplaced sense of affection for Carlisle's mate could be easily used to the vampire's advantage.

Ensuring that he locked the front door, Carlisle moved to the side of the house to where his car was garaged. While he would not normally take the vehicle into town, his soon to be passenger would be more easily and speedily transported on four wheels.

Carlisle's experience following Edward had allowed him to develop some of the finer points of tracking, including following a scent from a moving vehicle. Driving within the speed limit, he was able to keep his prey's scent in his sights.

As he drove, Carlisle played the last couple of weeks over in his head. Even going back to the first month in Oberlin, Carlisle could in hindsight see the influence that Will had on Edward and the way in which the human had insinuated himself into his mate's life. Carlisle could only reprimand himself for not being more vigilant in vetting Edward's contacts and associations. He knew his mate was an affable and charming individual but clearly missed the good sense to remain aloof from those that would do them harm.

Swearing, he hit the steering wheel, barely aware of the damage he made to the vehicle.

He continued to drive, following the trail to a small semi-detached house located west of the hospital. The houses in this area had been built as a part of the new hospital to provide housing for its staff, including William's mother who supported herself and her son by working in administration.

Pulling up across the road from where the scent trail ended, he sat and deliberated on how he would approach this. His most recent interactions with the human had not been conducive for the young man to trust Carlisle. Despite his better judgement, Carlisle decided he would need to appeal to the boy's ego and plead for his assistance. Considering how much Carlisle needed the blood for Edward…he was willing to beg.

Just then the front door opened and the boy exited the house. Carlisle opened the car door, planning to implement his plan, when a woman called from the doorway. Carlisle froze as Will waited for his mother to approach, giving her a chaste hug. This was not part of the plan. Carlisle did not want witnesses, and it was safer that the human disappear with no explanation.

Watching the pair embrace, Carlisle felt a surge of jealousy, not just towards the boy but also the mother. The closeness and love of family was what he was missing at the moment. The recent altercation with Edward had ruined that for Carlisle. While Will was responsible for his family's damage, Carlisle realised he could not, in good conscience, take that closeness and love away from the woman in front of him. Her son may be a home-wrecker and a hussy, but his mother did not deserve the pain of his early loss.

"Doctor Cullen?"

The call from across the street shook him from his revere. He looked up to find both mother and son watching him. Will eyes widened in shock at the sight of Dr Cullen sitting outside his house. His heart started to race at the memory of the last interaction he had with the doctor. At the sight of the imposing figure exiting the car and walk across the road, Will took an involuntary step closer to his mother.

"Dr Cullen, how can we help you? How is poor Mr Cullen? Will told me that he was unwell."

Trying not to glare at Will for daring to speak of Edward to others, Carlisle cleared his throat.

"Um! Edward is still unwell, but he is resting quietly and should recover soon," Carlisle tried to keep his voice positive, even though saying the words continued to drill home how sick his mate was.

"Why isn't he in hospital?" the accusatory question sprang unbidden from Will.

Before Carlisle could respond, Mary Pearson turned to her son. "Will, Edward is much better off in the care of his brother, particularly when Dr Cullen is more than capable of providing his treatment."

She turned to Carlisle, "I am sorry Dr Cullen. It is sometimes difficult for those who don't work in the hospital to understand sometimes the best treatment for the sick is being at home with their family."

Carlisle blinked at this unexpected support. "Yes, well. Edward will be well soon. I am not sure he will go back to work in the future and I will be recommending the Maestro make alternative arrangements."

Will stared at the doctor, incredulous. "What! Edward will no longer teach the Masters class? Surely he can assist us with practices!"

This time Carlisle responded faster than the boy's mother was able to. "As you know, Will, Edward is everything to me, my whole family. I will not risk his health and wellbeing for anything or anyone. Nothing is more important than he is and I will not tolerate anything that tries to impede his care."

He had leaned toward the human during his response, causing Will's mother to react by linking her son's arm in her own. Mary Pearson was not stupid; she could see there was a quarrel between her son and the doctor and suspected that Mr Edward was the reason. But this did not excuse the older man's behaviour towards her son.

"Dr Cullen!" she retorted sharply. Carlisle looked to her and seemingly surprised at his proximity to the boy, leaned back to a more appropriate distance.

Mrs Pearson continued softy. "I can see that this is a very stressful time for you. Let me assure you that Will and I only wish the best for Mr Cullen's health. If I can be of any assistance at all…"

Carlisle interrupted, "No! Thank you!"

Looking once again at the boy and his protector mother, Carlisle sighed and mumbled "I'm sorry," turned away from the pair, and headed back to the car. He watched mother and son head off down the street, then sitting low in the front seat of the car, put his head in his hands.

What was he going to do? He had failed in obtaining the one easy donor for Edward. Would he have to take someone off the street? Moving his head to rest on the steering wheel, he dwelt on the last few moments. He had failed them both, he was the head of their small coven and should have been able to protect and provide for his mate.

His thoughts moved to where he should go from there. Maybe he could visit the hospital and take a dying patient or one of the few vagabonds that lived on the outskirts of town. He wished that Edward was with him, so he could find someone whose loss was less valuable to society.

His head jerked up. What the HELL was he doing!

How could he even be thinking this way?

Even if Carlisle ignored the fact that Edward would never forgive him for slaughtering a human, even if it was to save his life, was Carlisle willing to betray his principles, to taint his record, to never harm a human for feeding, to treat his mate of his injuries?

Yes, he was!

But what if there was another option? Pulling at his hair he looked out of the car to the Pearson home.

His mind stopped.

Mary Pearson!

William's mother worked at the hospital.

She was the secretary at the Hospital Laboratory.

Where they collected and kept human blood.

Within a minute the street was empty. There was only the smell of gas indicating that there had been a vehicle nearby, that a vampire had stalked his prey, and that a young man had been saved a deadly fate solely by his mother.

~*.*~

Carlisle stood in the shadows in the corridor closest to the Hospital Lab, the knapsack he had taken from his home over his shoulder. Keeping a careful ear out for staff, he waited for an opportunity to sneak into the lab. He knew it would be easier to wait until dark when there were fewer staff around; however, on checking his watch, he realised he had been away from Edward for much longer than he had planned, and was starting to be anxious for his mate's wellbeing, and the risk that Edward may have tried to escape.

He cursed under his breath at his own popularity, as it had taken him some time to manoeuvre through the hospital with nurses and doctors alike interrupting him for advice on patients or enquiring after Edward. It seemed that the whole town knew of his mate being unwell, destroying any chance of hiding the matter.

Standing in wait, he could hear as the supervising doctor and lab assistant advised Mrs Pearson that they were taking a break. Both men smoked heavily and Carlisle had observed both had extensive damage to their lungs as a result. Watching the men leave, he continued to watch and wait; it was known that the two men would take some time. Many times in the past Carlisle had been able to enter the lab and perform his own tests in half the normal time while the two men poisoned themselves in the staff room.

Within 5 minutes of the men leaving, Mrs Pearson exited the lab. The lady routinely took the opportunity during these breaks to leave the stifling atmosphere of the lab and walk around the ground.

Taking the opportunity, Carlisle used the hospital master key he had procured and entered the lab heading straight for the bottles of donated blood. Twenty five bottles, the equivalent of 25 pints, sat neatly in the laboratory refrigerator. Putting the knapsack on the floor, he opened the storage unit and removed out five pints of blood.

After some manoeuvring, he was able to fit four bottles inside the knapsack. Looking at the fifth bottle in his hand, he decided it was safe to carry it. He would be able to run holding the bottle, having already decided to leave the car at the hospital. It would be perfectly safe in his parking spot in front of the building. Now that he did not need the car for a human passenger, it would be much faster, and direct, to run back to the boat house.

He stood and returned the knapsack to his back. Looking again at the refrigerator and the bottle in his hand, he made a split second decision to grab a sixth bottle before closing the storage door. He ignored the journal that was required to be completed when taking blood, theft was not unknown to him and he knew from experience he was better just taking rather than trying to forge paperwork.

Ensuring that there was nothing out of place, well, except for the missing blood, Carlisle slipped out of the room. He moved swiftly away from the area and headed to an exit at the rear of the building. Checking for any witnesses, he slipped out the back door and into the nearby woods.

~*.*~

Running at full speed, a bottle of blood in each hand and the knapsack on his back, Carlisle headed back to the boat house. He was pleased with his success and even more pleased that he was able to come up with a more appropriate solution for Edward blood requirements.

His thoughts turned to the procedure he would be performing on his mate and how he would enforce the recovery when a sound to his right distracted him. He had not even been aware of the two humans nearby. The hunters were down wind and he had not expected anyone in the woods at this time of day.

The slight click gave him a moment's notice as a hunting rifle exploded nearby. Carlisle dropped to the ground and looking up saw a large buck a few meters away take flight and raced away. The hunters circled round past Carlisle and after the animal.

Lying on the ground, Carlisle became aware of the dripping at the same time he smelled the blood. Looking at his hands, he was horrified to see that both bottles had cracked and were leaking the precious fluid. He panicked. Four pints will not be enough for Edward's treatment and recovery. The original six that he stole were barely going to stretch as it was.

Holding the bottles precariously to avoid spilling anymore, Carlisle was devastated at the thought of returning to the hospital to steal more. He didn't have time. He had to return urgently to Edward. If only he had something to decant the blood into and then feed Edward from it.

Whether from hopelessness or despair or anger or ingenuity, an idea crept into his head. He had something to decant the blood into…

Himself!

He could drink in the blood and then feed Edward directly from his own body. It was perfect, as by using his own body as a conduit instead of the fragile glass bottles, Carlisle could better control the infusions.

Carefully opening the first, then second, damaged bottle, Carlisle bent over and quickly quaffed the liquid.

This was the second time he had ever tasted human blood, both times to save Edward, the first from influenza and the second from his mate's foolishness.

As the blood entered his body and mind, Carlisle's sole thought was how Edward owed him now for all eternity for having to perform this one henous act.

Head in hands...Carlisle screamed!

* * *

**AN (3) -** Poor Will is off the menu... Blood thristy lot aren't you? Carlisle would have kidnapped Will for Edward, but was desperate for another solution, thankfully he found one. However circumstances now mean he has drunk human blood. What will it do to our deer-totaler? Warning the next chapter will be intense.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer – **Twilight and its characters belong to Stephanie Meyer.

**AN (1) –** Thank you to the support of all my readers and reviewers. Thank you always to Pace is the Trick for her support and assistance and my wonderful pre-reader, beta and comma queen sandraJ60.

**AN (2) - **I apologise, dear reader, for the time it has taken to release this chapter. There have been a few things going on in my life, some personal and some professional. However, the main reason for the delay has been the chapter itself. Originally, I had a very clear idea of how I wanted this chapter to go, and how it would progress this tale of jealousy and madness. However, when I went to write the chapter as planned I found myself unable to write it well. As such, this chapter may not have in it the events that some of you were expecting, but I believe it was for the best.

**AN (3)** - I will remind readers that Carlisle is becoming very much a vampire in this story; he is not human. He is a vampire that has had his first real drink of human blood, causing him to become dangerous and monstrous.

**AN (4)** – This chapter contains **medium level violence**, including **reference to sexual assault.**

* * *

**Chapter Twelve**

_They had forgotten the first lesson, that we are to be powerful, beautiful, and without regret.  
**Armand, Interview with A Vampire, Anne Rice.**_

Carlisle crouched on the ground, his hands clawing at the earth beneath him. Small tremors ran through his body like waves, almost like something was stirring under his skin, spreading like a virus, taking over every system.

To a human observer, it would have appeared that there was little change in Carlisle, but as he whimpered and moaned at the ground, he felt an increase in the movements beneath his skin. Then, as if the invading substance had reached a point of critical mass, his body moved instantly from prostrate on the ground to standing, arms outstretched and head back, relishing in the sensations firing up and down his body.

The world was different - clearer, sharper and richer.

Carlisle felt more real than he ever had before.

A noise emanated from his chest - a combination of a growl and a purr, as the vampire savoured these new sensations. Sensations he had denied himself for three centuries, pummelled his mind and body.

Carlisle stretched out his new heightened senses. He could hear the animals in the forest; he could almost hear the people in town. The smell of the nearby deer made him retch, but he was able to isolate the sounds and sweaty smells of the two nearby hunters. His body craved more of the red nectar and without volition, started to tense, making minuscule movements in preparation to give chase.

A gust of wind stopped him in his tracks as the smell of blood reached him from a much closer source. Looking down, he saw the broken bottles he had discarded. Dropping to his knees he picked up each container and licked the inside of the glass clean.

Growling at the scarce amount, he spied the abandoned bag. Lifting the flap, he crowed with delight at the sight of more bottles of the delicious nectar. Grabbing the first bottle, he smashed off the top and quaffed the contents rapidly. As with the others, he split open the empty vessel and licked the insides clean.

Disappointed that the bottle was emptied, he turned back to the satchel to find two books in the way of his next feed. Tossing them aside, he caught a scent off the smaller one, a scent that was comforting, infuriating and arousing…Edward.

Picking up the book, he held it to his nose while his hand unconsciously moved to his groin. He inhaled the scent deeply while rubbing himself; the action moved his focus from thirst to lust. His frenzied mind latched onto the raw craving for Edward, his want to possess his progeny…his mate.

Snatching up the backpack, he shoved the diaries inside along with the remaining bottles of blood. Calling Edward's name, Carlisle sprinted away faster than he had ever in his life.

~*.*~

Edward's brief moments of lucidity were in stark contrast to the utter void he escaped; single bright images were captured in his mind before the world once more went black. The images were accompanied by sounds, smells, and thoughts, but each was separate, out of context, and made little sense.

This mental photo album contained multiple images of the carpet on his office floor, the wall of a hospital cubical, the canopy of trees in the forest, the wood panelling of his boat Elizabeth, and most recently, the ceiling of the lighthouse living space. Other than his last venture into consciousness in the lighthouse, Carlisle had been close by, either faint, as if through a doorway, or as close as touching. He had also been vaguely aware of Will and the Maestro's presence, almost seeming to perform cameo roles in his mind.

The very first image had been of his office in the conservatory and, a detailed image of the carpet on the floor. The only activity was behind the door to his left where he could hear, both with his ears and his mind, Carlisle, Maestro, and Will. The tone of which made him cringe and dive back into the darkness.

Next was of the wall of a hospital. Aware of both Carlisle and Will, he tried to rouse further, but hearing the conflict he allowed the blackness to engulf him again.

When in the void, Edward was not floating, nor falling…he was trapped, trapped in a black hole in a hidden corner of his mind. In the past, when he had receded into his mind, he had always been fully alert and aware, and in many cases, had done so voluntarily. In contrast, this time he wandered in and out of cognizance with no control over the journey, clinging to a vague level of awareness which slipped away the tighter he tried to hold on to it.

During Carlisle's absence, Edward managed to tentatively raise his awareness level, taking in more of his surroundings. Looking down, he noted he was in the same clothing from days ago. The only notable difference was one of the sleeves of his shirt was ripped from wrist to armpit, revealing a filthy and tatty bandage: the shape of which made him cringe to think what was under there.

Edward tried to move, but his body would not cooperate and his mind protested; the edges of his vision starting to grey. Staying excruciatingly still, almost panting with the effort to stay conscious, he stretched out his hearing, both audio and mental, trying to locate Carlisle.

After a time, he became most aware of his thirst as it grew; his single hope was that Carlisle will have found something for him to feed on. As time went by, he began to slip back into the darkness and started to babble out loud, crying for Carlisle's return, begging for his mate's forgiveness, or whimpering in self-pity at his current situation.

Edward's eyes lolled about, struggling to not roll to the back of his head, as he fought to remain conscious. A tickle in his mind slowly grabbed his attention; focusing as best he could, he 'heard' in the distance a faint thought, the familiarity of which could only be Carlisle.

Listening to Carlisle's approach, Edward became increasing aware that something was not right. His mates thoughts were racing; they reminded him of the thoughts of drug addicts they had encountered, rapid and flighty, the mind unable to focus or concentrate. Suddenly, a thought escaped that shocked Edward to the core. An image of human blood - Carlisle drinking human blood reached him. He focused as best he could and could almost see Carlisle twitching and writhing, eyes flicking to his blood source, hand firmly rubbing his erect length. The thoughts of lust and desire emanating from Carlisle were overshadowed by a singular need for possession - fierce unyielding possession.

For the first time since he was turned, Edward saw Carlisle as a vampire, a deadly predator who lived by want, and all that would appease the monsters rapacious need and lust was Edward.

Edward's breath hitched, and in his rising panic, started to loose hold of his tenuous grip on reality. His body and mind united in their desire to flee, trying to make him as small as possible in a futile attempt to shield against the thoughts and hungers emanating from Carlisle. He knew what it was like to imbibe human blood and in his weakened state he knew he would be able to provide no resistance to his blood glutted sires advances.

The last thing he recalled, before he blacked out, were the markings underneath Carlisle's writing desk, where, in his panic, he had wedged himself and rocked in jerky movements while his mind sank back into its prison.

~*.*~

...Desire!

...Covet!

...Need!

...Agitation!

...Fondle!

...Stroke!

...Throb!

...Control!

...Possess!

...Violate!

...Gash!

...Take!

...Plunder!

...Release!

...Tear!

...Frenzy!

...Euphoric!

...Satiated!

~*.*~

Edward lay face down, trying not to move, the weight of his satiated sire pushing him into the mattress, the feel of the others solid organ, still turgid from the human blood, slowly slipped out of him as the other started to relax after his extensive period of gratification. The feel of the ejaculate expelling from his body made Edward flinch, the small amount of venom compound in the liquid stung as it dribbled past the nicks and tears in his rectum. The body above him shifted; Edward froze, hoping that he hadn't done anything that would set his sire off on another brutal assault.

Edward could tell from the whispers of normal thought starting to emerge in Carlisle's mind that the human blood was losing its grip, but for how long? Edward knew there was more blood somewhere in the lighthouse and was not sure if he had a chance of stopping Carlisle, now that the other truly had a taste for the real thing.

Edward knew how it felt to drink, really drink, human blood. Carlisle had had no idea what taking in those first large gulps of blood was like. They were life changing, your system became overwhelmed, there was no you, no I, there was just the Monster; the beast within that killed and maimed and took whatever it wanted without care or mercy.

He knew the being that had come into the lighthouse and brutalised him was not Carlisle. His Carlisle was buried under the monster, most likely kicking and screaming at what it had done. His Carlisle would be back; but as much as he believed that, he stayed pressed into the mattress, not moving or making any noise, because for the moment, the monster was in charge.

An increase in the shifting and twitching on top of him, alerted Edward to Carlisle's plan to pull up and off him. Making no movement or sound, Edward allowed himself to be lifted from the bed and carried into the bathroom. He ignored the soothing words of "let's get you cleaned up," and "what a mess you are, how did you get so filthy," coming from the other as if Edward was a child, while slowly and gently removing the torn clothing left after the assault. The care was in stark contrast with the brutality of the assault, and he unconsciously leaned into Carlisle, desperately praying for his husband to come back.

He watched as this distinctly different Carlisle turned on the bath water, adding salts as an afterthought, then lifted Edward, allowing him to slide into the water. Sat in the warm water, Edward remained still, unsure as to what may set Carlisle off again.

The water allowed Edward to relax; even with Carlisle cleaning his body, washing the blood from his hair and combing it smooth, he could feel the evidence of the rape washing away. Daring to delve into Carlisle's thoughts, he was relieved to find that the bathing (the familiarity of touch and smell), was doing much to relax Carlisle in the wake of so much frenzied activity. However, Edward was not sure if he was worried or relieved that Carlisle had gaps in his thoughts, as if he couldn't really quite remember the events of the day.

But underneath it all, was Carlisle's growing thirst for what remained in his backpack. These thoughts were not of his caring and loving mate, this was the monster. He needed to seek help to rescue Carlisle from his blood lust. Trying to ignore his body being touched and washed by his attacker, Edward tried to plan how he could flee, to find one that would be willing to help him rescue Carlisle's soul.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer** – Twilight and its characters belong to Stephanie Meyer.

**AN (1)** – Thank you to the support of all my readers and reviewers. Thank you to my pre-reader and chapter beta **sandraj60. **Check out her story **Mating** for a great Carlisle and Edward story (with a dash of Jasper for good measure). Thank you always to my partner in crime **Pace is the Trick,** for her ongoing support and assistance.

**AN (2)** - I know that after the delay for Chapter 12, this update may come a surprise. What can I say, other than I became inspired. The next two chapters are well and truly planned, and I hope to continue to update more regularly.

**AN (3)** - I will remind readers that Carlisle is becoming very much a vampire in this story; he is not human. He is a vampire that has had his first real drink of human blood, causing him to become dangerous and monstrous.

**AN (4)** – This chapter contains **medium level violence**.

* * *

**Chapter 13**

_Much violence is based on the illusion that life is a property to be defended and not to be shared. _

Henri Nouwe

Edward lay on the bed, Carlisle's arms wrapped tightly around him. Lying like this, he could almost believe that it was the start of the year and they were relaxing under the stars, the joy and hope of their new lives and opportunity in Oberlin ahead of them.

However, the continuous flickering of Carlisle thoughts to the backpack and the last of the stolen blood was a constant reminder of their present situation.

As he lay quietly, trying not to make any sound or movement, he decided he needed to stop thinking of himself as the 'subservient' mate relying on Carlisle to care for him; he needed to take responsibility for his part in this train wreck and find a way out of the quicksand for them both.

Moving slightly, he hit his damaged hand, wincing at the sensation. It was not pain as such, but a feeling of something not being right; wrongness within his body that was forcing every other part of him off kilter. As such, it was almost worse than pain.

Carlisle raised his head at that moment, and following Edward's eye line, frowned at the uncovered limb. Looking at the damage, he sighed. Trust Edward to get himself into such trouble that he would end up being injured.

Shaking his head sadly, he sat them both up. "We should get that hand fixed."

Without a second glance at Edward or waiting for any sort of agreement, Carlisle shifted off the bed and walked to the other side of the room collecting the backpack. Opening the bag, he removed the journals, instruments, bandages, gloves, and lastly, the two remaining pints of blood.

Carlisle looked closely at the bottles and then back at Edward. "No," he murmured to himself and placed the bottles back out of sight.

He would not give the precious nectar to Edward. It would be easier to control his mate's intake (for medical reasons of course) if he fed him himself. Better not to risk the chance of losing or spilling the blood while attempting to feed Edward in his weakened state.

Edward watched as Carlisle reasoned out his decision, catching the fleeting angry thought that Edward did not deserve the wonderful elixir and had not been good enough for Carlisle to be willing to share.

That decision made, Carlisle unwrapped the instrument pouch and laid out the various items. At this point, Edward began to feel the first faint vestiges of fear. It was going to be bad enough without having the procedure performed by an unstable, blood-lusting, abusive sire. Carlisle's clinical manner and thoughts did not bode well for him being gentle and caring throughout the procedure.

Edward struggled to sit up further, not really sure what he was trying to do other than knowing he could not face what was coming lying prone on the bed. Seeing the other struggle, Carlisle moved to help him, pleased that Edward was finally assisting, acting as a mate should, accepting his fate no matter how traumatic it was going to be.

Carlisle turned back to the instruments, humming one of his favourite opera's under his breath.

~*.*~

"CRACK"

The sound reverberated up Edward's arm and out his mouth as a sharp scream. Edward tried to move away as he received in his mind an image of Carlisle's next manipulation. Carlisle clamped down further on Edwards legs and torso while at the same time he proficiently twisted the hand so it was facing in the correct direction.

_You know if you had been better behaved and did what I told you, this never would have happened._

The statement was followed by a firm wrench, separating Edward's thumb from the back of his hand, eliciting another scream from the patient.

Pausing, Carlisle looked at his handiwork. Edward's wrist was no longer twisted at 180 degrees and his hand no longer fused to his forearm.

_Now you behave while I have a top up of blood. Then you can feed and we will start on the fingers._

Smoothing his hand along Edward's hair and face he shushed the sobbing vampire. "Shh! Shh!" _ It is going to be alright, I will fix it good as new. Then we can put all this behind us and start again with no more of this nonsense about you working. I mean look at you, Love, you couldn't even last a whole year without completely messing everything up. Now stop crying, this hurts me as much as it does you. I don't need to hear your self-pity while I work._

Carlisle tapped Edward on the cheek and then turned back to the bag and his drug of choice.

Edward struggled to sit back up after the hefty blow Carlisle had delivered. Trying to quiet his distress, lest Carlisle react again in such a way, he closed his eyes and tried to recall the wonderful times between the two of them. It was difficult there and then, with the monster's thoughts and actions drilling into his brain, to remember his kind, compassionate, and beautiful mate.

During Edward's musing, Carlisle had satisfied his addiction and returned to the bed unbuttoning his shirt, the two sets of teeth marks on his chest mute evidence of Edward's previous feeds. Still weak from the procedure and lack of adequate nutrition, Edward could not resist the draw of feeding and scrambled onto Carlisle's lap, quickly attaching to the other's chest.

~*.*~

The cycle continued for another 4 hours – feeding, breaking and re-setting. In many cases it had been necessary for Carlisle to break already repaired digits to ensure that each was in line and correctly positioned. As much as it was his intention that Edward would never publicly perform or teach piano again, Carlisle would always wish for Edward to play for him, and, as such, was conscious that the hand needed to be at its best.

After the second hour, Edward had stopped making any sound. While still conscious (the second-hand human blood he had drunk from Carlisle ensured that) his mind and body were so overwhelmed he had gone into a form of shock. There was no question that he felt everything, he was simply no longer able to react.

He soon became aware of Carlisle bandaging his fingers and hand and slipping the limb into a firm glove. Then, in an act of magnanimous generosity, Carlisle decanted a measure of the remaining bottled blood into a glass, and holding Edward's head, fed him the human blood.

The blood was old and had a slight aftertaste resulting from the anti-coagulants added by the laboratory, but it was pure blood and Edward was grateful for the gesture. This gratefulness quickly dampened when Carlisle lifted his chin and looked into his eyes.

_Good. Those eyes will keep you from trying to go anywhere soon._

Edward's shocked look was unnoticed by Carlisle, who had turned to clean up the evidence of the procedure. Carlisle had done it to ensure Edward's continued imprisonment, rather than any thought that his mate might need some sustenance beyond the few mouthfuls Carlisle had provided. While Edward could not starve to death, the lack of sustenance would keep him in a permanent state of weakness and dependence on Carlisle. Bitterly, he realised that it was clearly Carlisle's intention to keep him in a state of utter reliance so there would no future threats in Carlisle's mind to their relationship.

He watched Carlisle clean up and then, whistling a jaunty tune, the older vampire retired to the bathroom where Edward could hear the sounds of Carlisle bathing. Soon his mate emerged from his bath, and drying his hair with a towel, sat on the edge of the bed where Edward remained leaning against the headboard.

Carlisle reached out and brushed Edward's cheek with the back of his hand; it took all of Edward's self-control to resist flinching at the touch. He knew that this being was not truly his Carlisle, but his nerves were frayed and he needed some time to recover from the events of the past week.

Edward leant into Carlisle's touch and whispered, "Love, I am so tired. Can you lay with me? Will you hold me?"

Carlisle's smile was instantaneous and blinding. This was how a mate should behave; he should be loving and attentive but also contrite. "Of course I will, my love!"

Shifting them both down the bed, Carlisle lay on his back, and rolling Edward against his side, rested his mate's head on his chest. Wrapping his arms around Edward, he kissed the other's head.

_You rest now. I have you, love. I am here with you. I will never let you stray again._

Trying to ignore the chill that the last thought gave him, Edward buried himself into Carlisle's embrace, taking in his smell and feel whilst trying to ignore Carlisle's growing need for human blood. The last of the bottles had been emptied by Carlisle immediately after the procedure, Edward having to watch the shocking site of his mate breaking open the empty glass bottles and licking out the remains.

Since that moment, the craving to collect more had started and grown with each passing moment. Edward knew it would not be long before Carlisle's thirst drove him back to the hospital and the guilt free human blood supply. He needed to prolong the time before Carlisle left - to provide himself time to regain enough strength to be able to flee during Carlisle's absence.

Edward had decided to head to the Maestro's office. The Maestro had a phone line from which he could make a call to Eleazar and Carmen in New York or even to Italy if he became desperate. Edward also had copies of papers, clothes, and some money stored in his conservatory office – he could use these to get to New York, or even meet Eleazar half way. Carlisle's old friend was Edward's sole hope before he would have to throw at the mercy of the Volturi, an action that had the potential to be disastrous for both of them.

A number of hours passed; Edward could feel the wrongness in his hand seep away and was able to make hesitant movements with his fingers and wrist. Carlisle noticed the movement and stilled it with his hand.

"Don't move it," he warned. "Better you let it rest."

He kissed Edward's forehead before sliding out from beneath his mate. Looking down at the wounded vampire, Carlisle sighed.

_We need more blood. I need to go back to the hospital. Animal blood is just not good enough for you at the moment. This is for the best._

Carlisle put on his shoes and coat and picked up the backpack.

_Now you stay right there. I will know if you have moved. You have books you can reach._

He nodded to the bedside table where two copies of Carlisle's medical journals lay. Bending over, he kissed Edward lightly on the lips.

_I will be home soon, love._

Satisfied that all was as it should be in the lighthouse, Carlisle's thoughts turned to the hunt for his next bottled meal. Initially, he had planned to swim to the mainland; however, on reaching the lake-shore, he decided that he would take Edward's boat, firstly, so he would not have to get wet, but secondly, to ensure that Edward, in his weakened state, would not be silly enough to try to follow Carlisle or attempt to contact anyone else.

Carlisle growled at the latter, Edward should know by now the consequences of betraying him. Edward was lucky that Carlisle loved him so much and was so forgiving that the punishment had not been severe. Docking the boat, Carlisle finally noticed that the coming dawn was bright and clear. He swore in several languages. As desperate as he was for the blood, he would not risk exposure – it might reduce his chances of getting more blood in the future. He had decided that they would stay on the Island as long as practicable; Carlisle would be able to manage Edward's condition, and by restricting his feeding, could also ensure that his mate's movements were limited. It would reduce the opportunity for the mind reader to get into further trouble.

Racing the rising sun, he headed for the old house for shelter where he had access to a phone and clean clothes. On further consideration, he realised that this was a positive situation. He could relax, without the obligation of caring for Edward for a day, and pack the remainder of their things for either relocation to the Island or into storage.

On his arrival at the house, Carlisle removed his jacket. Rolling up his sleeves, he got to work packing up the house. He called the moving company and made arrangements for the collection of those belongings that were going into storage and then contacted the housekeeper, letting her go. Feeling satisfied with his efforts, he bathed and changed into his 'hospital' clothes and sat in 'his' chair. He looked out the window and estimated that he had half an hour until sunset. Just enough time to write in his journal.

Reaching into the backpack he pulled out a book; however, it was not his journal – it was Edward's.

Thumbing the pages, he hesitated for the barest of seconds before opening the journal. To read each other's journals without permission was one of the unwritten rules of their relationship; but as far as Carlisle was concerned, Edward's lack of communication had resulted in their current situation. As Edward's doctor and sire, it was his right to find out what had been going on inside Edward's mind so to truly understand when things had started to go wrong. Additionally, he wished to find out how much the human whore had warped Edward's mind and to see if Carlisle needed to re-condition Edward further.

As he flicked through the entries, he smiled at Edward's excitement of starting life in Oberlin, of taking Carlisle's name again, and his audition. The shock of the job offer and Carlisle's financial assistance to set up the music room were combined with detailed descriptions of the area, his love for his life with Carlisle, and his hope that all of their future lives were in such bliss.

For a moment, Carlisle felt a twinge of something that was vaguely familiar - could it be shame at doubting his mate? Was Edward simply an innocent in all of this, too wrapped up in his life with Carlisle to understand what was happening around him? Was he oblivious, rather than duplicitous?

However, as Carlisle continued to read, the 'others' name started to be mentioned, firstly, in the context of the school and classes. But soon he was referred to, albeit in apparently innocent context, in almost every entry. As the entries progressed, the number of references to William Pearson was only trumped by references to Carlisle; but in some entries the difference in number was not by much.

Carlisle paused at the next entry; the first that focused solely on the young human…

"**When I look at William I see myself. Not the me of today – the me of forever – I mean the me of the past, before the illness, before I lost my parents, before the fire, before Carlisle. **

**This young man who looks at me with such awe, admiration and esteem, his passion for music and his love for his mother come through at every moment. **

**He is so human. I wonder if I was that alive when I still drew breath. He makes me wonder what my life may have been like if it had not taken this strange path that I share with Carlisle. All of this is speculation, and I would not change my life for anything. **

**However, I must admit, even if it is only on these pages, my interactions with William Pearson make me ask myself…What If?"**

Carlisle took a number of deep breaths, both assured and concerned. He had believed that they had addressed all of Edward's doubts and longing's for his human life. Why would one human trigger this sudden questioning and mourning for the past and his human life. Carlisle had provided Edward everything he ever wanted and more, and he knew that his mate never begrudged Carlisle his generosity…

Then Carlisle turned the page…

**WHATEVER IN ALL THAT IS HOLY IS WRONG WITH CARLISLE?**

**Our anniversary should have been a wonderful time, a time for us to simply enjoy each other, but Carlisle seems to have an ulterior motive, that for the life of me, I cannot reason why. I must admit I love my boat, Elizabeth, and am astounded by his generosity. But for whatever the reason, both her and the lighthouse felt like a bribe. I do not understand why he is so possessive. Bloody hell, that bite mark still twinges; I was lucky he didn't bite my head off. At the time, I was petrified that he might. At the moment I feel like he is becoming a stranger. To be honest, I think it is best that I focus on my work until he is willing to talk to me.**

Carlisle sat and dwelt on the passage. He could now confirm his belief that Edward had been hiding from him. The other should have accepted Carlisle's gifts and understood that Carlisle knew that moving Edward to the lighthouse to study and play on his boat would be the best thing for him. Carlisle knew what was best. Edward had ignored him, hidden from him, and look where it got them.

Reading the entry, Carlisle breathed easily, as ungrateful as Edward's words they were focused solely on Carlisle. Maybe some of the lesson from their anniversary at the Island had sunk in and he had drawn away from William Pearson for a while.

However this assurance is soon dashed…

**Oh my goodness, William is gay! **

**I don't know how I didn't pick it up before now, too focused on being his teacher and not his friend. I ache for him and the struggle he goes through hiding who he is. Carlisle and I have each other, but he has no one except for his mother. I feel like I should be a better friend to him - try to help him to find a community to help and support him. **

**I have decided against telling Carlisle. **

"What?" exclaimed Carlisle, before continuing to read...

**He has been strangely possessive as it is…to the point that I find myself getting angered every time he questions where I have been, if I have fed, what time am I coming home. It is not as if he wouldn't disappear for days for work without so much as a by or leave. I know that my profession is not in the practice of saving lives (as he informs me regularly). My students and the Maestro depend on me and I am vexed that Carlisle would ask me to forget the lessons he has taught me about being responsible and dependable. But of course, what is good for him is completely different to what is acceptable for me. I really don't know what to do; he will not talk to me, other than to order me around. He won't let me in; I feel like I am blind to both his thoughts and actions.**

Carlisle paused; he could not understand how Edward could not see that it was different for them. Carlisle was the responsible mate and sire who knew what was best for his mentally unstable mate. The fact that Edward was questioning Carlisle in his journal showed Carlisle how unstable the mind reader was becoming. No wonder he was taken in as easy prey to the machinations of a young upstart who was clearly looking for his next conquest.

Turning the page, Carlisle noticed that the next entry was the last. This was the entry in the journal written by Edward the morning of the lake trip. Carlisle recalled seeing Edward furiously writing in the journal, ink smudging his fingers in a way that both irritated and amused Carlisle; for someone with a delicate touch on the piano, Edward often wrote like he should have been chiselling stone, particularly when he was excited or passionate about his subject matter.

The thought stopped Carlisle in his tracks. Did that mean Edward had been excited or passionate about the lake trip?

At the time, Edward had told Carlisle he was deeply disappointed that only one student had been able to come, but was determined to that the two of them would still go. Carlisle hadn't realised the student was William Pearson.

Could it have been that Edward had misled Carlisle as to his level of interest in the trip - the trip that triggered everything?

Could it have been that Edward wanted to be alone with the boy? Manipulating Carlisle, so he would not suspect his mate of attempting to commit adultery?

He shook his head violently, no of course not; Edward was an innocent party in all of this. As annoyed as his mate could get with him, he would never betray Carlisle like this. Such an act would be worse than leaving to feed from humans, and if it were true (not that it was, Carlisle was sure), he would have to take firm and drastic actions to ensure that the subject of any infatuations was removed.

But Edward would never…and clinging to that thought, Carlisle returned to the final journal entry…

**As disappointed as I am that I will not be able to have the field trip to the lake that I had planned, it has turned out to be an almost ideal situation. My original intention had been for the entire class to join me on Elizabeth for a lesson on music in nature and how we can use those sounds and rhythms in composition and performance. However, for a variety of reasons, Kitty, Philip, and George are unable to participate, leaving just myself and Will.**

**So much the better! **

**Instead of spending the day being a teacher to my students, I will be able to relax with my best friend. I feel I have neglected Will over the last couple of weeks; the constant buzzing in my head has not made me the best of company, which combined with Carlisle's overbearing possessiveness, has put me on edge.**

**Recently, the only times I have felt calm have been when I have been with Will, talking, playing or simply enjoying each other's company. There is a relaxed feel to our relationship with no discomfort or tension. Even when he touches me, there is no sense of inappropriateness, only the interaction of two close friends who require comfort.**

**I am looking forward to sharing Elizabeth with Will, to show him my favourite places on the lake, to give him an idea of where my music comes from, and to encourage him to find similar places and people from which to draw his inspiration.**

**He has inspired me with the very humanity I no longer possess. I have yet to share with anyone the piece I am composing. It's drawn from my experiences as a teacher and the joy I have found in my students, especially Will.**

**I value my friendship with Will more than my music; he and I have bonded in a way that I never thought possible. I am not Edward the serious music teacher, or Carlisle's mentally unstable mate, or Aro's coveted mind reader; I am just me. With him I can be a teenager for a time, goofy and free without responsibility or consequence.**

**I love that I found him at this time, that I have found a tangible reason as to why there is value in us putting the effort into interacting with humans. He makes me _feel _human, and I am not sure I will ever want to let that feeling, or him, go.**

**Today is going to be a perfect day.**

Carlisle stopped; then deliberately and methodically tore the journal apart…page by page, feeding each to the fire he had lit earlier. His rage turned inward. There was no explosion, no violent reaction; the destruction of the book was a clear decision of a calm mind.

Now he knew what he had to do. Edward had clearly lost his mind and had to be shown the consequences of his actions. Forgetting his plan to steal more blood, Carlisle calmly tidied up, and after leaving a note for the removalists, exited the house. Locking the front door behind him, he walked away at a slow and even pace as if he was simply taking an evening stroll.

However, the slow and unruffled the movements of his body belied the turmoil in his mind. All reason was gone; Carlisle was functioning on instinct and the singular determination to repair the damage his mate had caused.

There was only one way to return everything back to normal - to return Edward to him. Carlisle finally accepted what he knew he should have done on the street in front of the boy's mother house.

Carlisle _must_ kill William Pearson! And to make sure the lesson was finally learned...Edward Cullen _must_ be there to witness!


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: – Twilight and its characters belong to Stephanie Meyer**

**AN: My sincerest apologies for the delay with this chapter. Some of this has been RL, some has been FFn/LJ related and some has been good old writers block.**

**AN: Please be assured that this story will be completed. At this stage there are two more chapters, an epilogue and two future-takes (which have both been already written) to go.**

**AN: I would like to thank my wonderful friends on FFn and LJ for beta'ing, pre-reading, support, encouragement and a 'virtual' shoulder to cry on. You know who you are. Without your help, more than this story would not be here.**

**AN: This chapter runs parallel in time with Chapter 13.**

* * *

**Chapter 14**

_Desperation is the raw material of drastic change. Only those who can leave behind everything they have ever believed in can hope to escape. _

Burroughs, William S_._

By the time Carlisle had reached the jetty, Edward was out of bed and had stumbled to the door. He paused until he heard the boat's engine start and then staggered, as if drunk, in the direction of the marshlands.

Arriving at his destination, he stopped and watched the colony of cormorants nesting on the north of the island. They never normally fed from birds; they were a waste of effort as each bird contained only 200-250mls of blood while a larger mammal, deer or wolf, could give them between four and five litres. He would need to kill sixteen to twenty birds to receive the equivalent amount of blood.

As much as he hated feeding from birds, almost as much as Carlisle hated rats, he knew he had no choice. He was desperate, but reasoned that he would only need to drink enough to reach the mainland where he could find one of the many deer roaming the woods around the town.

Steeling himself, he crouched, scanning the area. He set his sights on a small flock that was slightly isolated by terrain and appeared to have a number of elderly individuals. Drawing on his little strength and considerable desperation, he pounced.

He drained the eight birds he was able to capture then lurched to the lake shore where he washed his hands and face. Sitting on the bank, he let his body absorb the fluid. He could feel the strength return to his limbs, his starved body eagerly consuming the blood, leaving little excess to alter his eye colour.

Noting the sun was beginning to rise he took one last look behind him and then dove into the lake. He headed south, pacing himself; he did not want to be drained of energy and be stuck on the lake bed. Feeding from fish was worse than birds.

He reached the next island, crawling onto land he was lucky to come upon one of the small deer living there. Falling on it like a man possessed, he rapidly drained the animal. When the animal was spent he pushed the carcass aside, whining with need.

After a moment, he noted that he was able to reason and think without feeling as if his mind was being dragged through mud. For the first time all week he felt that there was a possibility for a positive end to this horrific situation; he actually believed, instead of just hoping, that he could get help for Carlisle. With this new found confidence he ran across the island and dove back into the lake, heading for the mainland. Reaching land fall as the sun had fully risen, he hugged the coast heading east. Being sure to keep concealed in the coastal scrub, he reached the point due north of Oberlin, where he turned and running as fast as he was able, headed directly towards the town and the conservatory.

Edward was taking a huge risk travelling on a clear sunny day. But he could not waste time and felt that it was worth the danger of being seen.

Flitting between buildings, keeping in the deep shade of the morning sun, he was soon hugging the walls of his building waiting for the all clear before slipping into the large front doors. Once in the building, he headed straight for his office, noting that the door was unlocked. He entered closing and locking the door behind him.

Ignoring the state of the room still disorganized from when he was last there, he strode to the small coat cupboard where he stored spare clothing. Removing a clean suit and shirt he left his office, locking the door behind him, and headed for the faculty bathroom.

He washed thoroughly, trying to remove all trace of the last twenty four hours, and re-dressed. He wrapped the soiled and torn clothes in a spare bin liner and buried them at the bottom of the bin.

Taking a look in the mirror, he hummed his satisfaction that at least his exterior (excluding his eyes) was back to its normal state. Edward made his way back to his office. As he approached he noticed his previously closed and locked office door was wide open. Entering cautiously, he stopped at the sight of someone leaning over his desk.

"Maestro?" he breathed.

The old man turned quickly taking in Edward's appearance with a single glance.

Edward nearly toppled over from the unexpected barrage of thought emanating from the man. The Maestro's thoughts had always been tightly contained and highly structured; to receive a blast wave of vision and noise from the old man was disorientating.

As Edward recovered from the torrent he began to 'see' the information, at which point his disorientation, shifted to confusion and then anger. Images of red and gold eyes, of pale skin sparkling in the sunshine, of conversations with Will, and faceless, but recognisable voices, on the phone.

Supressing the rising panic and hysteria, Edward took a step forward, blocking the old man's escape.

"Who are you?" he growled, "…and do not lie to me, I can tell if you lie to me."

The old man's eyes darted around the room to the other doorway leading to the music room.

"Don't even think about it," Edward growled. Pushing the Maestro backward until the man was sitting in a chair Edward stood over him and repeated his demand. "WHO ARE YOU? HOW DO YOU KNOW WHO WE ARE?"

The Maestro shook in his seat, terror on his face.

_Edward, please. I mean you no harm! Please, I was just following orders._

"WHAT ORDERS, WHO'S ORD…" It was then that Edward realised that the Maestro had not moved his lips. He threw himself back against the wall and away from this old man who not only knew WHAT he was, but WHO he was, and WHAT he could do.

"Tell me," he demanded, his anger turning to frustration as the old man refused to answer. "I don't want to hurt you, but I will if I have to. Don't make me have to. Who are you?"

The old man put his face in his hands. Edward's anger once again began to build. He went to move towards the man when the Maestro lifted his head.

"Please, Edward. Hear me out before you react. Please, no matter what I say, please remember to be the kind, gentle soul that I met here are this very school. Be the compassionate person who is Carlisle Cullen's mate. Please agree to hear me out first, after which you may do with me as you see fit…"

He looked up at Edward. Edward stared back at the old man. His anger shifted to confusion, he did not understand what was happening but decided he had nothing to lose by hearing the man out; he might even be able to help him with recovering Carlisle.

"Alright! I promise to hear you out. Now…who are you?"

Taking a deep breath the old man looked directly into the vampires eyes.

"My name is Nuncio Trovato. I am an agent of the Volturi."

~*.*~

Edward felt as if his brain had exploded. Terror ran through his body. His eyes frantically looked for an exit, a place to run and hide away from the man who had betrayed him. Edward's eyes fixed on the shutters and the bright sunlight behind them. It was the middle of the day and there was no chance of him leaving the building without been seen by the many students and staff on the campus.

At the realisation that he was trapped his panic shifted to fury, he moved into a defensive crouch a low growl emanating from his chest. One wrong move (or any move at all) by the old man would result in the vampire springing.

They were at impasse. The Maestro could not leave at risk of setting Edward off, who in turn could not leave at risk of exposure, turning his and Carlisle's horrendous situation into a catastrophic one.

The Maestro shifted forward in his chair and murmured softly, "Edward…" he stopped at the hiss from the other and decided to try another approach.

_Edward! Please listen to me!_

Another growl

_Please, I beg you! Let me explain…_

"Explain what?" Edward screeched, "Explain how you could side with the devil himself! Was it worth it? What were you promised in exchange for your soul?"

The Maestro stilled, his face suddenly filled with grief.

_I exchanged my future for my sister's life…and it was worth every decade of servitude._

Edward's body stilled, as the Maestro continued.

"My first memory is of being led down a dark lane, the tall stone buildings loomed above us in the early evening. I looked up to see a tall cloaked man carrying my baby sister. To this day I have no recollection of our lives before this moment. We entered an old stone building housing dozens of foundlings. We were well cared for, educated and provided for all our basic needs; but were not allowed to leave the building and its surrounding compound. This was my home for six years."

He paused and looked at Edward to see that the vampire was listening intently.

"As children we were always told of the 'choosing', the time where our carers would decide our future path. Soon after my sixteenth birthday I joined nine others of age and stood facing a large desk at which sat a tall dark man. He stood and without preamble, placed a hand one by one on each young person's shoulder, he would then murmur something to the nearby guardian and the young person was led through one of three doors."

The Maestro looked down at this hands which were unconsciously playing with the fabric of his trousers.

"After the eighth person was sent through the same door, the man sighed deeply; clearly he was unhappy with the results. Standing in front of the remaining girl beside me he touched her shoulder and his head lifted and eyebrow rose. Moving his hands, he gently cupped her face and kissed her forehead as if in benediction. A woman, who had been sitting against the wall, rose at the signal and gently led the young woman through one of the two unused doors. The man's eyes followed them his expression oddly sad.

This left me standing in the room, alone with the tall man. As the final participant I had been able to study him, noting that from his colouring and countenance he was not Italian but Mediterranean; possibly Spanish. He was attractive to the point of beautiful, with eyes that despite evidence to the contrary looked like they smiled often. As he moved in front of me I foolishly looked him in the eye. I drew a sharp breath, his red demon eyes staring at mine.

Dropping my gaze I knew I had been caught and shifting a panicked gaze to the door where most of my peers had been sent my skin suddenly went cold and clammy, my throat dry and I unconsciously stepped away from the man.

The man huffed and reached forward to grab me on the shoulder. He frowned and let me go to then clasp my face in a firm grasp, forcing me to look at him. His eyes flickered and his mouth turned up into a smile. Letting me go, he led me through the remaining unused door and away from my childhood.

After that things moved fast. I was set up in rooms in the main citadel and provided access to books and tutors. Upon my eighteenth birthday I was sent to Rome to study music and art and business at some of the most prestigious schools of the time. I studied hard, reporting back to my supervisors, receiving regular praise for my achievements. During this time I received letters from my sister within the communications from Volterra.

At the age of twenty I completed my studies and was summoned back to Volterra where I was advised I would have an audience with the masters at which time they would decide my future.

Now, I was not stupid. I knew there was something different about my masters; my first meeting with Eleazar at my choosing gave me much to ponder. However it is one thing to suspect your masters are not human; it is another to be told that you owe your life and future to the leaders of the vampire nation. I was given three days to recover from the shock after which I was ordered to return to the main chamber. Aro made it very clear that I owed them loyalty and service and that if I refused, my fate would be those of all of those at my choosing who went through the first door. I was informed that my service would be for 30 years, after which time I would be free to live what was left of my life.

"What of my sister?" I asked. Her 16th birthday was approaching and now I knew the truth of the choosing I was terrified for her. Two of the three doors lead to death, turning or food. The chance of her being suitable for service was a one in three chance. Aro had looked to Eleazar, who shook his head sadly.

I begged Aro for mercy. What could I do to protect my sister from the choosing? After some thought he proposed a deal, he would release my sister to my care, on the condition that I would provide the Volturi with a lifetime of service."

Edward's eyes widened at the thought of being asked to make such a bargain.

"As I said I was not stupid, I knew while studying in Rome that I might need to escape those very people that raised and supported me. During my wanderings around Rome I discovered a place where I could protect my sister. So the day after my Faustian bargain I escorted my sister to a small, almost unheard of, convent of cloistered nuns within Vatican City. As a result of a century old agreement between the Catholic Church and the Volturi, the nuns were protected from all evil, including vampires. My sister was a simple soul, not too quick of thought or wit, but loved reading and needle work and art and took well to the quiet companionship of the nuns who acted as a conduit for our letters, within which my sister assured me that her life was content and she could not ask for more.

I was now indentured to the Volturi for the remainder of my natural life. I was sent to some of the most wonderful places in the world, all the time performing tasks and errands for the Volturi. The older I got the more my roles became that of courier or provider of protection for other's, both human and vampire.

With the recent death of my sister, Aro magnanimously allowed me to retire. I was promised that my current position would be my last. I was placed here in order to look out for an unusual mated vampire couple who had caused the Volturi some 'issues' in the past." 

Edward stared at the Volturi agency in both awe and horror, "So you were here to…?"

"Wait for you? Watch you? Report on your activities? Yes! However once you were here and the opportunity presented itself for more active involvement I was ordered to do so." The elder man's tone and thoughts were layered with deep regret and shame.

Edward was shocked. Was their every movement tracked? How could they not have known about this monitoring? Or had Carlisle known and hidden it from him? Did his mate's lack of trust in him run deeper that suspicions of infidelity? Edward shut down the train of thought. He refused to go there. He would explore such things if and when they got out of this disaster.

"If only we had not come to Oberlin..."

Only when Maestro shook in head did Edward realise he had spoken aloud.

"Edward, you and Carlisle are on a watch list; any likely place that you may settle is watched. Carlisle has always been the subject of a "see and report" order, but since your turning you have both been tracked; all possible facilities and locations watched."

Edward shook his head, "How could they ever manage that? There are far too many cities, with too many potential hospitals, to watch them all."

Maestro looked at him almost with pity. "Edward, there ARE a lot of us, both directly in the service of the Volturi and other unknowing humans paid for information. Also we weren't monitoring hospitals. Our orders have always been to watch music schools and suitable towns near large bodies of water."

Edward felt ill. He was not sure what upset him the most; the fact that they were the targets of such intensive surveillance, or that the Volturi knew exactly where to look.

"Aro wants you, and if necessary, Carlisle will be sacrificed to get you. To my shame as a result of my interference that is what has happened. Aro would prefer that you come to him by your own choice, having you leave Carlisle as a result of an irreconcilable difference or due to Carlisle exiling you from his presence. But this situation had developed into one even better than Aro could have imagined, Carlisle's present actions allows him to be determined an unfit sire and mate. As a result you can both be taken back to Volterra - Carlisle for 'punishment' and you for 'protection'."

Edward started to pace, pulling his hair in impotent frustration at being trapped in the room. "I will find him, take him away somewhere isolated and give him time to recover…"

"Err…" the hesitant sound and fleeting thought from the Maestro stopped him short.

"What? What else?" Edward's anger rose as he fought the desire to pick up the elderly man and shake him.

The Maestro sighed. "When Carlisle hurt you, I was afraid that he might kill you, or even Will. Limiting disclosure is one of our core duties so with that in mind I did the only thing I could do - I rang Italy directly and advised them of the situation. I was told to monitor the situation and advise if there were any major changes."

Edward gasped as the Maestro continued his voice tight with fear, "When you both disappeared I panicked. I sent an urgent message to Italy to be told that the guard were already on their way." He paused, his heart raced faster and a sheen of sweat gathered on his brow. He wiped his hands on his pants. "The guard are led by Aro himself."

Edward moaned in despair, burying his head in his hands "When will they arrive?" he whispered.

"I don't know" confessed the human. "Edward I am so sorry…"

Edward held up his hand, he could not hear it. He wanted to hate this man, tear him limb from limb. But he couldn't, the old man was a messenger at best, and a slave at worst. He was an instrument who had no choice other than to obey his master. Edward also recognized with some pain that had he and Carlisle been more open and honest, this weakness in their relationship would never have been able to be manipulated.

But here they were. He was recovering from starvation and abuse, while Carlisle's location and mental state were unknown. Their only hope, an elderly human bound to Aro, and who therefore could not be completely trusted.

"There has to be someone we can ask, someone who would know how much time we have." He started to pace the room.

"Well…"

Edward's eyes flickered to the old man. "Well what?"

The Maestro flinched at Edward's tone, but bravely continued.

"There is always Eleazar."

~*.*~

The Maestro watched as Edward spoke on the telephone in his office, being the only place where a telephone had been connected. The conversation was going far too fast for him to follow so he focused on siting in his chair and calming his frantic heart. In retrospect he was more than amazed and grateful that Edward had not killed him, or at least struck him.

He looked up to see Edward frowning at him; the other shook his head at the old man's thought, but then quickly returned to his conversation.

"Thank you, I am sure you will find out the outcome either way. Love to Carmen." He nodded and then hung up the receiver.

Edward turned to the Maestro, his shaking hands giving away his distress.

"Tomorrow, or the next day," he croaked, "They stopped with Eleazar briefly before continuing but the recent spell of fine weather…" he gestured to the shutters holding at bay the light of the soon to be setting sun, "…has slowed their travel."

His red eyes suddenly became panicked. "I have to find Carlisle, I have to find him now, take him away from here," his shaking became violent as the events of the past week, his starvation and what he soon may face crashed in on him.

The Maestro stood and moved towards the other. The vampire no longer appeared the confident being who had lived for near thirty years. Instead he was a lost and frightened seventeen year old. For the first time since the Maestro had known him, Edward's demeanour matched his physical appearance.

The Maestro grabbed Edward's hand in his own, trying not to flinch at the chill that permeated his arthritic joints.

_Edward! Edward! _The vampire looked up, his face crumpled in agony.

"We will find him. And when we do, I have a way of getting you both out of town. A way I devised for when I needed it. I saved my sister; I can help save you both too. Please trust me!"

Edward shakes started to still, as his mind clutched at the lifeline that was being offered them.

Still holding the vampires hand, the Maestro held the others gaze and continued.

"My only condition…you must take me with you."

* * *

**AN: Maestro's name:- Nuncio = Messenger / Trovato = found or little foundling**


	15. AUTHORS NOTE SORRY!

I apologise to you all for this non-chapter, I had always declared I would never write an AN as a chapter, however circumstances have made necessary.

As you have probably noticed, the posting of this story has slowed to a crawl this year, this has been due to my focus being more home based. Sadly my MIL is in the final stages of a long terminal illness and while both she and the other adults have made our peace, I have two little girls who are struggling to deal with the imminent death of their Grandma. My focus must be on them.

Despite this, I have been slowly working on the chapter 15 and a supporting outtake for Jealousy. I can guarantee that the story will be completed and will most likely consist of three more chapters, an epilogue, and two future takes (both of which have already been written).

One of the future-takes may not meet the recently enforced rules of FFn and I will post a marker chapter advising of its location should I decide to keep it in its current form.

On that point, should my story/account disappear at any time, I will mirror post all my stories on The Writers Coffee Shop (TWCS) - **thewriterscoffeeshop *dot* com/library/viewuser *dot* php?uid=60802** - under the same author name - feckle

Recrortus (and possibly others) will remain on LiveJournal - **feckle *dot* livejournal *dot* com** - which also includes the wonderful banner artwork produced by **davincis_girl** as part of the vampirebigbang.

Again I apologise for this non-chapter and I will promise to try to never do it again.


	16. Chapter 15

**AN (1): I would like to thank everyone for your kind words in regards to my mother-in-laws health. Sadly she passed away at home and it has been a challenging time trying to support my husband and two children. There is however a light at the end of the tunnel and I am starting to get back to normal life, which includes getting back to this story.**

**AN (2): Please note that this chapter has been neither pre-read or beta'd so all poor grammar is my own.**

**AN (3): Biggest hugs and thanks to the ladies from C2C, for your continued support and love.**

* * *

**Chapter 15**

_When time and space and change converge, we find place. We arrive in Place when we resolve things. Place is peace of mind and understanding. Place is knowledge of self. Place is resolution. _

Abdullah Ibrahim

The moment he set foot on the Island, Carlisle knew Edward was gone. The pull of his mate, the sensation of his presence, no longer existed on the island. Racing to the lighthouse he found all as he left it; except the bed was no longer occupied. There was no unfamiliar scent, no sign of an intruder, no indication that the vampire had somehow been taken against his will - Edward had left of his own volition. Carlisle tried to maintain a small bubble of hope that his mate had simply wandered away in his delirium however, upon following Edward's scent, that bubble soon burst and it was clear that the other had purposefully abandoned the island.

His distress at Edward's absence quickly turned to fury at the young vampire absconding strictly against orders. Returning to the lighthouse, he stood in the middle of the room at a loss as to what to do next. Looking around, he suddenly felt the walls closing in on him, the sensation of claustrophobia dragging at both his body and mind. The pressure soon became unbearable and he lashed out at the room, tearing it apart in a desperate attempt to free himself for the feeling of suffocation.

He soon found himself surrounded by the debris that was their belongings. In the silence he could hear a 'tap…tap…tap' sound, sounding disturbingly like a heartbeat. The regular sound was accompanied by a sharp odour that warned of kerosene leaking from a broken lamp; shattered during the destruction.

Carlisle stared at the liquid, tipping his head to one side he could almost imagine the liquid was blood oozing from a wound, that delicious sound tantalising in both its tone and texture. He breathed deeply, only to remind himself that this was not the cherished nectar of life but the source of fire; something that bestowed light and warmth, as well as death and destruction.

Collecting the shattered lamp, he upended the remaining contents in a single splash. He then moved around the room gathering the remaining lamps, meticulously empting them all over the room. Taking one last look, assured that there was nothing that he wanted to keep, he opened the window and jumped out; pausing only to strike a match on the window sill and throw it into the room. He then turned his back and walked away as the lighthouse was rapidly engulfed in flame.

His return voyage across the lake provided time to think about what had just happened, about what it meant for Edward to run away from Carlisle in this manner; for Edward to throw Carlisle's gifts and help and love in his face, in exchange for what was a non-remarkable human boy.

How could he throw away his future for a human? How could he do that? Carlisle shook his head.

Edward was remarkable from the first moment he saw him, little did Carlisle know then how valuable and unique Edward would be as a vampire, one that was all his. William was nothing, a nothing who would live a life hidden behind his mother, seducing happily married men into his clutches, abandoning them as he became bored.

This nobody had touched his mate…worse than that, he had held and kissed Edward. William had been welcomed into Edward's classroom, and their home; betraying them both by attempting to create a rift between Edward and himself.

Becoming distressed at this train of thought Carlisle stopped the boats engine, allowing the sudden silence to wash over him.

Looking around he let his gaze wander absorbing his surroundings, the sleek shape of the vessel, the dark and gloomy waves lapping gently at the hull. But instead of calming him, the tranquil scene infuriated him. Why could his life never be perfect? Why could he not have a time of peace and tranquillity with his mate? Why must it always be trouble and trauma for them both?

Holding his head in his hands, he cried out in anguish, he could only see one way out. By removing all traces of their presence and removing Edward away from the wicked influences of the town, Carlisle could only then hope to restore their relationship and the balance between them.

He now understood why Aro was ruthless when eliminating evidence of their existence. Humans like William were a risk; he could not be left behind only to speculate on Carlisle and Edward. He was sure to become curious about the couple and soon ask enough of the right questions to become a potential risk.

Carlisle needed to take Edward away, away from the lure of those who would take advantage of his generous and friendly nature, but Carlisle was also obligated to protect them (and the rest of the vampire nation) from his mate's error in judgement. He looked into the night to the now smouldering lighthouse. Destroying the lighthouse was a good decision, a good first step in cleaning up; he now needed to continue, remove all evidence be it property, papers or persons.

Looking around him, he sighed. This new found resolve would come with some heartbreak. The boat on which he sat was one of Edward's most prized possessions. Carlisle hated that he had a history of giving Edward vessels to only take them away again. But he needed to be ruthless, he would get Edward another boat once they had settled down again and the young vampire could be trusted to not leave Carlisle again. Edward would be distressed, but he would understand one day the importance of Carlisle's actions and how they protected them both.

Before he could second guess his decision Carlisle stood and moved to the rear of the boat. Opening the fuel tank he looked around and found a length of rope under the seat. Dipping the length into the fuel tank he then laid it along the deck, leaving one end of the rope soaking in the tank. Pulling out his lighter he lit the other end of the rope and then dove from the boat, swimming down deep as he kicked strongly away from the doomed vessel.

A light and small shockwave altered him to the boats fuel tank catching alight. Without bothering to break the surface to look, he struck out to shore.

Upon reaching the solitude of the vacant boathouse, Carlisle changed into fresh clothes he had stored there. Leaving the building he stood and looked out to the water, in the distance he could make out a faint glow from the lighthouse and closer to shore, like a satellite, a smaller glow as his mates beloved Elizabeth struggled to remain afloat.

He stood, absolutely still, and watched until the smaller glow faded and disappeared into the depths with a gentle hiss. The fire on board Elizabeth had finally consumed the boat; extinguished as she sank to her watery grave.

The wood and stone lighthouse took longer to burn and despite the glow of the fire, it appeared that the buildings demise had attracted little to no attention; well at least not enough to encourage anyone curious enough to head for the island to investigate. *[see AN below]

Without another thought, Carlisle turned his back on his handiwork and ran in the direction of the town, his mind already focussed on his next target.

~*.*~

It was pre-dawn when Carlisle arrived at the outskirts of town, the cloud cover assuring him that he had at least one day to finalise his business with Oberlin and a couple of its residents. Walking through town he watched as the first signs of human activity occurred for the day, he had always liked this time of the day; the air was heavy with potential and life. However today he saw the rising populace only as having the potential to separate him from his mate, to destroy his happiness.

Looking around he suddenly realised that he had reached his destination. Standing outside the Pearson home he felt a sense of peace and calm, all anger had drained out of him and he smugly took this as a sign that this was the right decision, he was on the right path to resolving the mess that Edward had created.

At that moment, William Pearson emerged from the cottage with his mother. They were clearly on their way to their activities for the day, Mrs Pearson to the hospital and William on his way to the conservatory, his satchel of sheet music over his shoulder. Carlisle pulled his hands through his hair to give the impression of dishevelment and ran across the road, shamming panic and shortness of breath.

"William, thank goodness! I need your help," said Carlisle faking frantic distress. "Edward is unwell and asking for you. I know we have had our differences, but I need your help to calm him. He has a raging fever, not aided by a bout of hysteria which is impeding my ability to treat him. I fear that unless you can assist me to calm him, Edwards may not fully recover."

William looked torn, but his concern for Edward soon overrode any suspicions regarding Dr Cullen. He turned to his mother, who nodded her support.

"Of course I will Dr Cullen. Anything to help Edward," he replied, taking a step closer to the vampire.

"Thank you William, Mrs Pearson, you cannot understand how grateful I am to you. Please come now," Carlisle gestured towards the centre of town and the conservatory.

William kissed his mother's cheek, then falling into step with Carlisle, followed the other to Edward.

~*.*~

Carlisle was aware of the old man as he sat seemingly immobile in the Cullen's car which was parked outside the hospital. The increase in his heartbeat gave the Maestro away as much as any other sound or movement could. Carlisle could feel the old man's gaze as he walked by with William in tow, he contemplated approaching the vehicle, but decided against it, reasoning that the old man was probably waiting for Edward and will no doubt tell Carlisle's wayward mate of his movements thus reducing the need for Carlisle to track him down.

Edward was sure to come to him.

Smiling at William he led the young human into the conservatory grounds. After a short time Carlisle became aware of the old man's presence behind him, clearly Edward had not advised the old man as to the danger he faced following Carlisle.

Carlisle and William entered the music building, Carlisle leading the young man to Edward's office.

"He is in here," Carlisle opened the door and gestured for Will to walk ahead of him into the room. Carlisle watched as William frowned at the empty room.

Carlisle had thought long and hard as to the method of debilitating his prey. He did not wish the young man to expire prematurely, however he did require that William be incapacitated for the duration of time between his capture and Edward's arrival.

Fiddling with the vial in his pocket, Carlisle snapped the glass allowing the liquid to soak the surrounding rag. The sweet solvent smell of Ether alerted the young man seconds before Carlisle placed the cloth firmly over William's mouth and nose. The boy had no time to struggle before he fell limply against Carlisle, kept upright solely by the hand that held the cloth to his face. Feeling the body start to slide to the ground Carlisle picked up the boy and carried him into the music room where he tied the human to one of the comfortable arm chairs.

Looking down at his captive, Carlisle started to get anxious waiting for the Maestro to catch up with them. Rather than remaining with the unconscious boy he decided to investigate the offices. The search of Edward's office was quick, as his mate mimicked Carlisle's own behaviour of bringing minimal personal effects to his workplace.

Moving down the corridor, Carlisle used his well-honed lock picking skills to enter, and search, the Maestro's office. He found the office to clearly belong to one of a teacher and bureaucrat. Rifling through the papers he found it told the story of an elderly professor living out his final years in a pinnacle position.

Placing the papers back, Carlisle made sure to tidy the desk, moving to reach over the desk, his foot kicked something solid bolted underneath the piece of furniture. Bending down he furrowed his brow at the small metal box bolted to the underside of the desk. Looking closer his frown became deeper as he recognised the box as one he has seen before.

Ripping the box from its housing, he broke it open, hoping that for once he was wrong. Looking at the contents of the box he conceded that he was not.

"This explains everything," he mumbled to himself. Staring at the Volturi Diplomatic papers and Agent signet seal, he was not surprised by this new information. There had always been something about the Maestro that was familiar and unsettling in equal measure to Carlisle. Now that he had his vague suspicions confirmed he could place the old man clearly as an adversary and a risk to Edward.

A faint sound alerted Carlisle to the old man's arrival. Pocketing the seal and papers he made his way out of the room to the front door of the building. He watched as the Maestro paused at the bottom of the steps, seemingly unsure as how to progress. The old man hesitantly climbed the steps and opened the door, apparently unaware of Carlisle's presence. The vampire noticed the shiver as the old man walked past him and quietly cleared his throat.

Startled at the noise the Maestro turned swiftly, throwing himself against the far wall at the sight of the red-eyed vampire.

"Dr Cullen," he gasped. "You startled me?"

"Well Maestro," Carlisle smiled without humour. "Considering you followed me from the hospital, I am somewhat confused at your surprise. You seem so determined to follow myself and Mr Pearson, will you not join us?"

The Maestro opened his mouth to make his excuses, when Carlisle grabbed the old man's arm. Carlisle was no longer the pacifistic humanitarian doctor but a member of the vampire nation proud, strong and menacing.

"Please understand that this was not a request," Carlisle continued his voice hard and cold.

The Maestro winced at the firm grip in which the vampire grasped his arm.

"Indeed I must insist," the vampire lead the human down the hall.

~*.*~

Edward raced to the lighthouse; stressed that he had yet to find Carlisle.

Upon visiting the hospital it became clear that Carlisle had not visited that day. Leaving the Maestro to watch for his sire, Edward raced to their house where he found evidence of Carlisle's having spent time packing. The house had been stripped of all items, labelled boxes stacked in the living area, while the furniture had been pushed to the far wall tagged and labelled for storage.

Edward wandered out and around the back of the property and stopped at the sight of his beloved piano on the ground in pieces. He had not thought of the fate of the instrument since that night when everything went to hell, but the sight of something that had been a large piece of his identity shattered and left in the dirt inspired within him a frantic determination to locate Carlisle, to ensure that their relationship did not end the same way has his piano.

Leaving the house Edward easily picked up his mates trail. Despite being an average tracker, Edward could follow Carlisle's scent through a hurricane…in the dark. He was a little surprised that Carlisle's trail headed toward the island without first having restocked their blood supply. Frowning, he kicked up a gear, and raced to the edge of the lake. The smell of burning diesel and wood left him with little misunderstanding as to what had happened. Making out the plume of smoke in the distance he could be assured that the lighthouse was now a smouldering mass of timber and stone.

A feint sound in the water drew his attention to a number of pieces of wood floating and bumping against each other. Bending to collect a piece that had floated to shore, he recognised it instantly. Edward dropped to his knees. Carlisle was clearly determined to remove any trace of their presence, eliminating all possibility of returning to their lives in Oberlin.

Kneeing on the bank, Edward looked across the water and tried to deliberate what Carlisle's next objective would be. Probably not the hospital, Carlisle had taken little of his own belongings to his work, preferring to do his research at home. This left the conservatory and Edward's office. Edward was not too concerned with Carlisle destroying anything in the office, any books and music that he had not committed to memory, would be easily replaced.

So what else was there that Carlisle could destroy at Edward's workplace? Edward looked at his feet as more pieces on Elizabeth washed to shore. Her destruction hurt more than he was willing to admit, he truly loved her, she was almost a real person to him, a confidant and an escape

Edward stopped the thought, he had been so focussed on what Carlisle might eradicate, he had not thought at all about whom. A part of him refused to accept the idea that Carlisle would hurt a human, but his sire was out of his mind with jealousy and blood lust. This was a dangerous combination that could finally push Carlisle from healer to hunter.

Without as much as a backward glance he turned and sprinted back towards the town. Paying no head to possible risk of disclosure Edward focused on his destination as he tried to ignore his frantic thoughts fighting for dominance within his panicked mind.

He knew he only had hours to find Carlisle, and extract him from their perilous situation, before the Volturi descended. He tried not to speculate past that objective nor allow other thoughts, fighting for priory in his mind, to distract him from his goal. If they were able to escape what would happen to William? Would the young human become collateral damage in this conflict? What of the Maestro, also a victim in this scenario? Could Edward morally allow the old man to be killed protecting Carlisle and himself? The lives of four beings were now dependant on him.

He rolled his eyes at that thought, who would have thought he was finally growing up, taking responsibly for their lives and actions.

The closer he got to town the more Edward felt that he was being followed. He felt a strange sensation at the back of his mind as if his extra sense was being clouded, he knew there was someone there, and he just could not 'hear' them in his mind. Rather than continue Edward swiftly climbed a large tree and hid amongst the branches. Staying absolutely silent Edward tried to maintain his claim, trying not to dwell on the thought that there were only a small number of individuals, all of whom were vampires, who could supress their thoughts and effectively hide from him. Most recently was Carlisle, the most proficient was Aro. The ancients own mind reading talent provided him with the skill to work around Edward's.

It was with that disturbing thought that Edward sat, straining his mind's eye, attempting to catch a whisper of his pursuer before they came into view. It was not long before he became aware of movement within the trees. He strained harder in an attempt to focus on his trackers thoughts. As his proximity to the stranger diminished he noticed something peculiar about the person's throughs. Not only were they heavily masked, but he experienced a sensation which was much like sliding on ice; the thoughts of his pursuer were present, Edward just could not latch onto them.

This was familiar to him, he knew this. He tensed as the figure came into view, stopping beneath the tree in which Edward was perched. He looked down as the other looked up and their eyes locked. Edward gasped.

"What are you doing here?"

~*.*~

AN: Middle Island is the southernmost point of Canada. Built in 1872 because too many ships were being lost on nearby reefs, the Middle Island lighthouse was manned by a series of keepers until 1918. It burned to the ground by the 1930's, how and when are unknown, but part of the stone foundation remains.


	17. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters belong to Stephanie Meyer

AN (1): I am glad to see the back of 2012; it has been a rollercoaster of a year, cumulating in an urgent trip to the doctors, then hospital and resulting in emergency surgery. You would have thought sitting in bed would be an ideal time to write, but things never go as planned. Please be assured that this story will be completed. I will not leave these boys hanging and have plans to commence a new story as soon as this is complete.

AN (2): Last month I posted a Recrortus future-take, please have a look and tell me what you think. I am trying to gauge interest in expanding the story of Edward, Carlisle and their sons.

AN (3): Biggest hugs and thanks to the ladies from C2C, for your continued support and love.

AN (4): Please note that this chapter has been neither pre-read or beta'd, so all poor grammar is my own.

AN (5): Warning - This chapter contains violence.

* * *

Sometimes the slightest shift in the way you look at things, a seemingly insignificant change in perspective can alter your life forever. - Author Unknown

~*.*~

_He tensed as the figure came into view, stopping beneath the tree in which Edward was perched. He looked down as the other looked up and their eyes locked. Edward gasped._

"_What are you doing here?"_

~*.*~

With a growl Edward pounced from his perch in the branches onto the figure below. Wrapping his arms and legs around the vampire, Edward started to whimper and sob like a newborn. Burying his head into the others shoulder he mumbled.

"You came…thank you…I don't know what to do…please help…help me save him…"

Eleazer patted the young vampire's back, trying to calm the shuddering and whimpering being.

"Shh! Shh! I'm here, Edward." _I'm here, little hurricane._

Edward chuckled at the nickname. His relationship with Eleazar and his wife Carmen started when he was a newborn. After turning Edward, and discovering his mates unique talent, Carlisle recognised he needed help with training and controlling Edward; for which he turned to his old friend and mentor.

It was Carman who had christened Edward with the nickname. She had commented early on that Edward had entered Carlisle's life like a hurricane. The name had stuck, but Edward would only allow Eleazar and Carmen to use it, having accepted the couple as an adopted Aunt and Uncle, despite their long term relationship with Volterra which continued after they exited the ranks of the Volturi guard.

Eleazar's gentle embrace effectively calmed Edward, who dropped his legs from around Eleazer's waist and leaned against the older vampire holding on for dear life. Once he felt Edward was calm enough to talk, Eleazar loosened his embrace and steped back a pace, he grasped the young vampire by the shoulders and looked closely at the mind reader for signs of mental instability.

He gave an internal sigh of relief with what he found in Edwards face. Although showing signs of red flecks, the young vampires eyes were full of distress and concern, and lacked the manic tremor Eleazar recalled from past events, including when Edward ran away.

Edward's short vampire life had consisted of periods of mental instability so Eleazar was heartened by the apparent fact that the youngster was, despite the stress, holding together.

Edward allowed himself to be scrutinised by Eleazar, asking softly, "Eleazar, please don't get me wrong, I am ecstatic to see you, but what are you doing here?"

The older vampire sighed.

"Edward, after our phone call and from the brief conversation I had with Aro, I began to fear for both yourself and Carlisle. I don't want you to end up back in Volterra; I think we would both agree that that would be disastrous for your mental health."

Edward's breath hitched at Eleazar's words. A visit to Volterra with Carlisle in Edwards first few years, had resulted in him being overcome by the thoughts of the vampires and their prey; not assisted by Aro allowing Jane and Alec to play with Edward mind. It had taken some time for Edward to recover from the ordeal and no one - especially Carlisle - would want the mind reader to go through that again.

"Do you think it might come to that?" he whispered. Edward had not been thinking beyond retrieving Carlisle and getting away; he had not considered the consequences should they be detained by the Volturi.

"I do," Eleazar confirmed. "You must remember that all Aro knows is what the Maestro told him; that Carlisle has become erratic and physically injured you. Aro still considers you his apprentice and a future member of his elite guard; he will take custody of you for your own protection."

Edward started to shake again, the thought of having to go back to Volterra, to have to work for Aro made him feel physically sick. Eleazar grabbed Edward pulling him towards him again.

"I cannot make you any promises, save this, I will do everything I can to stop that from happening," Eleazar declared. "But our highest priority is to save your mate from himself. To do that you will need to be strong; nothing that I say will change Carlisle's perception of what has happened here. You will need to be firm with him you need to take control, he has failed in his responsibility towards you both, so it is necessary for you to take on that role, even if you have to say and do things that might hurt him."

Edward looked Eleazar direct in the eye and nodded. He was not sure how he was going to sway Carlisle, but knowing he had Eleazar by his side made the task seem less impossible. He could do it, he could save them.

It was only when Eleazar murmured, "Yes, you can. I will be with you to help the best I can," did Edward realise he had spoken aloud.

Edward's brow furrowed, "About that?" he asked. "How did you get here so fast? How did you beat Aro and the guard?"

Eleazar smiled grimly. "Unlike Aro, I have a power boat at my disposal," he grinned faintly "You are not the only member of this family who has a perchance for the water. I was able to move much faster than Aro, travelling day and night, a luxury not afforded to the guard."

"Despite this advantage," the older vampire continued, "we still have little time. I do not believe we will be able to hide you before they arrive, and as such your only hope is to get Carlisle to a state where he can stand beside you before Aro demonstrating, if only for a short while, that any issues between you are resolved and you remain safe with Carlisle."

Shaking Edward slightly to return him to the moment, Eleazar led the other by the hand.

"Let's feed and then go get your mate."

Edward looked at his mentor and nodded slightly. He released Eleazar's hand and took off in search of blood.

~*.*~

It was not the first time in his afterlife that Edward wished he was dreaming, but it was the first time he felt he was in a nightmare from which he could not wake.

The scene that he and Eleazar had burst into at the conservatory was as horrific as it was farcical. The Maestro was tied a chair facing one of the grand pianos which had been repositioned to stand front and centre of the room; the old man the sole audience member to the macabre spectacle being performed in front of him.

Carlisle had always been on the theatrical side, his expressions and actions would sometimes take on mannerisms only comparable to that of the great divas on the world. If he had not been a pastor's son, Edward firmly believed that his mate would have been a theatrical player, only now moving from the genre of drama and farce to that of horror.

William Pearson lay, as if sleeping, on top of one of the grand pianos. His body was posed as if at eternal rest, his chin angled upwards displaying his pale white neck. There were two precise incisions in his jugular vein, protruding from which were two rudimentary intravenous lines along which the young man's blood flowed into two glass containers; both of which were over half full.

Carlisle's thoughts were focussed on the containers, in his head he counted the droplets falling into the artificial pools. Delving deeper Edward discovered, to his disgust, that Carlisle was calculating William's blood loss; a grisly countdown to the boy's death.

Edward gasped.

"I knew you would come to rescue him, your last act of betrayal" Carlisle sneered.

Edward did not respond, instead he stood to his full height and stepped into the room. Eleazar remained in the doorway letting Edward take the lead.

Locking his gaze with Carlisle's, Edward continued forward. Reaching the chair where the Maestro was restrained he removed the bindings; all the while staring at Carlisle daring him to react.

"Maestro, there is a medical kit in my second desk draw, could you please go with Eleazar and retrieve it for me?"

The old man hesitated, his gaze flickered to Carlisle. "It's alright" Edward assured. His gaze flicked briefly to the prone figure of William.

"Quickly, please!"

The old man rose and grasped Eleazar's arm to be lead through the adjoining door. Edward moved towards the other victim, Carlisle shifted his weight in response, emitting with a warning growl.

Edward paused and waited for Eleazar to return to the room, with the Maestro cowered behind him. Once they were ready, Edward again moved towards Carlisle, speaking clearly and quietly in an attempt to draw Carlisle away from his victim.

"You wished to be human, well congratulations you have become all that is human, the monster that is within all men, is within you. You have become one of those I hunted; all the good you have ever done has been undone by your act of terror."

Edward moved round forcing Carlisle to step back away from the piano.

"I am your mate for life."

"I am with you forever, for better and for worse."

Each statement was punctuated with a step forward; Carlisle unconsciously stepped back from the verbal attack.

"You have shown that you do not trust me and I will have to look at you every day with that knowledge, knowing that you would kill an innocent because of the lack of trust, that you would assault me – the one you swore to love and protect for eternity - over a perceived threat based on your own jealousy and insecurity."

"Congratulations Carlisle, you have become human. While you will never lose me, at this moment you have lost my faith in you, your humanity and your love for me."

Edward had slowly corralled Carlisle to the side of the room and had restricted his view of the piano upon which William no longer rested.

"So why would I remain with you? Even tied to you for eternity, why would I choose to be around you, accepting your principles and ideology which change the moment you feel threatened or jealous?"

"You are not a fit leader of this coven…"

A slight movement to the side caught Carlisle's attention, Edward glanced away to see Eleazar and the Maestro moving William into Edwards office. Carlisle roared "No!" at the sight of his prey being carried away and made to go after them.

Edward knew the time for talking and distraction was over, now he had to fight for his mate and his coven.

As Carlisle tried to move forward, Edward grabbed the back of his neck and flipped him around into one of the grand piano's located at the side of the room. The instrument shattered under the blow. Carlisle struggled to stand while Edward closed in, not allowing any distance between them that might have allowed Carlisle to take a running leap at him.

They kept the fight in close quarters, growling and biting as each tried to exert control over the other. While Carlisle's last meal had been of human origin, Edward had fed more recently; making it an even match. In the end it was Carlisle's lack of emotional control that weakened him. He could not divorce his thoughts entirely from the human in the next room and his imagined dalliances with Edward.

A slight noise from through the doorway distracted his senses enough that Edward was able to grab him by the scruff of the neck and around his waist, and pushed him against the piano in the centre of the room, still stained with William's blood.

Carlisle struggled against Edward's weight as the latter pushed him against the piano. What did his mate, this subordinate, think he was doing?

With the feel of air around his legs Carlisle realised how far Edward would go. His 'struggles' increased. 'He' was the head of their small coven - 'he' was the leader. How dare Edward try to usurp Carlisle! Particularly after all Carlisle had done to protect his foolish young mate from his own actions.

Despite Carlisle's growls and struggles Edward was able to firmly pin him down. Edward swiftly removed all obstacles to his goal and without preamble took the other fully and completely.

Carlisle's struggles reduced as his body accepted the shift in power. Sensing Carlisle's acceptance of his authority, Edward leaned over that others back. Sniffing at Carlisle's neck he opened his mouth, and before Carlisle could react bit down, drawing blood and marking his mate.

The marking triggered the last of Carlisle's fight. Screaming in pain, he released, leaving him spent and docile to Edward's ministrations and care.

After readjusting their clothing Edward picked up the compliant, and slightly wobbly, Carlisle and moved to one of the large chairs. He held Carlisle tight, nuzzling and licking the fresh wound. Carlisle emerged from the shock and snuggled into Edward's chest, small whimpers and purrs indicating his full acceptance of their new arrangement.

"I love you," Edward murmured. "I will NEVER leave you, and you will NEVER forget that you are MINE." He growled low.

Edward found the shift in control a heady experience; he never thought that such a shift would occur in their mating. If he was honest with himself he was not sure how he felt about the change, and knew that if he had not been forced to go down this path he would have never ventured by choice.

"Carlisle? Carlisle, love? " he spoke softly, trying to rouse his mate whilst not startling him.

The downside of a shift in dominance was the mental shutdown of the newly submissive mate, as their mind adjusted to the change. This effectively made them unable to perform independent thought or initiative for a number of hours – two things Edward desperately needed from Carlisle immediately.

But better a passive Carlisle, than a homicidal one!

_Edward?_ Eleazar's thoughts whispered though the wall. _The young human needs help. Full medical help!_ _Is Carlisle…?_ The thought petered off.

Edward shifted them both, sitting up. This would be a true test of Edward's authority and whether Carlisle's jealousy could be tempered by their new relationship.

"Carlisle," Edward shook his mate gently. "Carlisle! Love! I need your help."

"Mm?" Carlisle hummed, sitting up he shook his head lightly as if to clear a fog.

"Carlisle, there is a young man in my office that needs the aid of a doctor, he is in critical condition and I would not ask if there was no other option."

Carlisle sat up fully, a frown on his face, which became realisation and then horror.

Edward grabbed Carlisle by the face, forcing the other to look him in the eye.

"No! Carlisle! You do not get to feel anger or guilt right now; you need to be the self-possessed, experienced doctor that we both know you are."

As if a switch had been flicked, Carlisle's countenance smoothed and he nodded gently.

Taking Carlisle's hand Edward led him to the next room. William lay on the floor, on a makeshift bed made up on chair cushions and blankets. The wounds on his neck had been covered and appeared to have stopped weeping. The boy's skin pallor was grey, his breath coming in weak pants.

Sitting beside the patient were the two bottles of blood, wrapped in an attempt to keep them warm. Carlisle moved towards his patient; the Maestro's breath hitched and he attempted to move in front of William, but was held back by Eleazar.

"But he…" the Maestro protested.

"I know! He is fine for now, Edward has everything under control," Eleazar reassured the old man. Edward rolled his eyes at the comment, but remained silent next to Carlisle's slightly swaying form.

Suddenly Carlisle's eyes cleared. "My bag!" he ordered. Eleazar moved the bag to beside Carlisle as the physician knelt beside the dying boy, quickly checking his vitals, Carlisle knew that he had little time to save the young man.

He sat back on his heels and looked around him, his eyes stopping at the bottles of blood that had been so ruthlessly torn from the young body. He reached for one, his every move watched by three pairs of eyes, lifting it he swirled the blood, then brought the bottle to his nose, breathing in the scent.

At this action, both the Maestro and Eleazar tensed, looking towards Edward for reassurance.

"Carlisle, Love! What are you thinking?" Edward spoke quietly not wishing to disturb Carlisle's thoughts.

Carlisle's mind was calm, as was his voice. "We can replace his blood here and now. If we get it to the right temperature we can fast transfuse it back into him. Even one of these bottles should return enough to him that he can be transferred to hospital."

Seeing in Carlisle's mind what was required, Edward quickly ordered Eleazar to retrieve towels from the staff bathroom, while he rigged the gasoline table lamp into a makeshift bottle warmer. The Maestro remained seated beside William watching Carlisle's every move as the latter prepared both the patient and equipment for the procedure.

Minutes later the boy was attached to a crude intravenous line, the bottles hanging from an improvised frame; returning to William the blood that had been so violently taken.

~*.*~

It took an half an hour of fast transfusion for the blood to be returned to its donor of origin. Carlisle gently removed the makeshift IV and checked his patients vitals, confirming that the field triage procedure has been a success. "We still need to get him to the hospital for monitoring and recuperation" Carlisle informed his spectators.

Edward shared a glance with Eleazar.

"I could take…" Edward stopped, they all shot a look at Carlisle who had emitted a whining growl and moved closer to Edward to grab his wrist.

"Or…" Edward paused, "Eleazar if you would not mind?" Eleazar shifted his worried gaze from Carlisle to Edward.

"Certainly, Edward! Not a problem."

They wrapped William up in the blankets on which he had been lying, Eleazar then picked up the young man and swiftly headed for the hospital.

The Maestro sat passively in to corner of the room, watching the two vampires clear up the triage area. The two did not speak, but moved smoothly around each other. Once the two rooms were straightened Edward pulled Carlisle into a chair and gently held his mate.

As they sat quietly Edward began to feel a sensation that was familiar and unusual.

It was as if he had an itch in his mind. A crawling, tingling sensation, that seemed to shift the moment he tried to focus on it. He sat for a few moments engrossed in the feeling before he touched on it directly and felt its malevolence. He sharply withdrew his minds wanderings cursing his stupidity for not instantly recognising both what he was hearing and what it meant.

At that moment all he thought of was grabbing Carlisle and running, but knew that if he could hear them it was too late.

They needed to wait, wait for Eleazar to get back, wait for the Volturi to arrive, wait for the judgement and their fate.

They needed to wait!

Lifting his head, he spoke clearly so both the vampire sitting beside him and human opposite could hear.

"Our visitors have arrived."


	18. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters belong to Stephanie Meyer

AN (1): Comment about PM. Please be assured that this story will be completed.I will not leave these boys hanging and have plans to commence a new story as soon as this is complete.

AN (2): To my wonderful friend **sandraj60** who broke 6 months of writers block with one comment. For her ongoing support and friendship I have started a sequel to Recrortus, which I plan to start posting either just before or just after Jealousy ends.

AN (3): Biggest hugs and thanks to the ladies from C2C, for your continued support and love.

AN (4): Please note that this chapter has been neither pre-read or beta'd, so all poor grammar is my own.

AN (5): Warning - This chapter contains violence.

* * *

_As they sat quietly Edward began to feel a sensation that was familiar and unusual._

_It was as if he had an itch in his mind. A crawling, tingling sensation, that seemed to shift the moment he tried to focus on it. He sat for a few moments engrossed in the feeling before he touched on it directly and felt its malevolence. He sharply withdrew his minds wanderings cursing his stupidity for not instantly recognising both what he was hearing and what it meant._

_At that moment all he thought of was grabbing Carlisle and running, but knew that if he could hear them it was too late. _

_They needed to wait, wait for Eleazar to get back, wait for the Volturi to arrive, wait for the judgement and their fate._

_They needed to wait!_

_Lifting his head, he spoke clearly so both the vampire sitting beside him and human opposite could hear._

"_Our visitors have arrived."_

~*.*~

Carlisle had never had a recollection of waking up from sleep, his only real memory of ever regaining consciousness was at his turning and in that case it was more of a shift from mind ripping pain to endless want that could only be satiated by blood and death.

At this time and moment, he emerged from a place that was soft and warm, a dreamlike state within which he felt safe and loved. Lifting his head from its cradle within Edwards arms his body felt heavy, his mind vague and blurry.

The arms around him tightened as Edward felt Carlisle trying to shake the side effects of transitions, he needed Carlisle 'compus mentus' but did not wish to rush his mate as he knew from experience the disorientation could make the sensations worse.

"Hey there!" he breathes quietly to Carlisle, "take it gently, love!"

Edward kissed Carlisle gently, all the while aware of the approaching danger. The Volturi appeared to have paused on the outskirts of town waiting, Edward was sure, for the two scouts that were silently infiltrating the University campus.

Noting Edwards focus distracted away from him, Carlisle tried to regroup. Sitting up completely he let his thoughts flow back to recent events, there were a number of gaps, but he was able to get the general idea. He had gone mad, Edward had brought him back in the only way that would work.

The one thing he noticed the most about his new position, was that his emotions were dulled. They had not been replaced, or removed but supressed in such a way that he could not engage them directly. It was like he was watching a play, the emotions were there, but he could only experience them vicariously.

"It will all come back to you," Edward promised, having easily picked up Carlisle's thoughts.

Carlisle recalled being able to keep Edward from his mind and out of curiosity tried to repeat the feat. Looking up at Edward, the mind reader shook his head gently. No words needed to be said, the change in their relationship had altered a number of things, including his ability to hide from his mate.

Returning to his state of introspection, Carlisle delved deeper into his recent memories, aware that Edward was monitoring his progress. As Carlisle worked though the last couple of months, he touched the memory of a young man that sent a sharp sensation through his mind and body. Edward tightened his arms around Carlisle at the recalled image of William Pearson.

"Shhh…!" he soothed. Edward watched Carlisle trying to grab the memory to better see it, understand it, and saw the memory slide out of Carlisle's grasp, who was unable to shake the feeling of being a third party in his own mind.

Carlisle struggled to capture the memories, looking up and staring at the Maestro, who had remained standing in a corner of the room, attempting to force his mind to break into the memory. A memory that held an emotional violence that resided deep within him, in a place that he was aware of, but could not access.

Edward observed the struggle. Unlike Carlisle, Edward could see the memories and burning emotions that were linked to them. He could hear, and almost feel, the jealousy and rage that only hours ago drove Carlisle to perform the most heinous of acts with no control or remorse. Once they had survived the approaching doom Edward, hopefully with Eleazar's help, could help Carlisle with his jealous rage and the inevitable self-vilification that Carlisle would experience once the suppressed memories and attached emotions re-emerged.

Gently taking Carlisle's face in his hands Edward murmured, "Once we have left here, you have my word that we will focus on your needs in this matter. We will get thought this together, I promise." He kissed Carlisle softly on the lips, pouring all his care and love for his subservient mate into the contact.

Carlisle sighed, tension that he was unaware of seeped from his body at Edwards tender touch. "Alright!" he whispered.

Throughout the interaction Edward kept a part of his thoughts focussed on the intruders whilst also trying to capture the unique non-thoughts of Eleazar as he was desperate for the elder's return.

As much as he hated to, Edward needed to get Carlisle on his feet. Tightening his arms for a moment he then shifted his body, lifting Carlisle up into a firm embrace while assessing his mates ability to stand upright. Wobbling a bit Carlisle grabbed Edward tight around the neck, Edward ran his hand up and down Carlisle's back making soothing sounds until Carlisle became surefooted allowing Edward to pull away so they stood facing each other with their hands joined.

"Okay?" Edward checks. At Carlisle's nod Edward stepped away from his mate, breaking the physical connection.

Carlisle watched as Edward waved the Maestro closer and spoke to update them of the situation.

"Aro and the guard are on their way in now, thankfully he has brought neither Jane or Alec," Carlisle raised an eyebrow at Edwards absolute on this matter, Edward turned "trust me, I would know those two minds anywhere."

He continued, "the bad thing is that I have not heard from Eleazar, it looks like the Volturi will arrive before he does. We have to stall Aro until then, but just let me emphasise, nothing can be gained by refusing Aro's touch. If you do, you will get hurt." This was directed more at the Maestro than Carlisle, as he would still have absolute control of his mate for a while.

The Maestro nodded unconvinced at Edward and wished wholeheartedly that Eleazar would make a speedy return. The Volturi agent knew that any possibility of hope for his survival rested with the elder vampire. Edward wanted to reassure the old man that it would be alright, but he was not confident that it would be. In fact he suspected the old man had outlived his usefulness to the Volturi and was selfish enough to admit he needed the Maestro to make up for the damage he did, even if it meant falling on his sword to save them.

~*.*~

Edward turned a beat before the classroom door opened. Aro was proceeded by Felix and Demintri and followed by Renata and Chelsea. Upon entering the room Renata moved close to Aro while the other three circled Edward, Carlisle and the Maestro.

Aro walked up to the trio, stopping just outside of arms reach, all the while taking in the three beings. Carlisle shifted slightly, indicating his anxiety at the current situation. Edward tried to resist the urge to comfort Carlisle, while he knew that it would be hard to hide the shift in relationship from Aro, he did not wish to embarrass his increasingly aware mate.

Aro opened his mouth to speak when a soft noise announced Eleazar's arrival. Aro turned his head slightly "Eleazar, My friend! Please join us! I am interested to hear how you happened to be here, or more curiously how you managed to precede us."

Walking up to stand beside the ruler, Eleazar simply smiled "As always Aro, I am a true believer of the law and after you departed from my house, I felt that I could assist in resolving this matter and took the advantage of my watercraft to arrive promptly."

Aro grimaced, making no other comment. Edward picked up Aro's irritation at Eleazar's comment as well as faint traces of discomfort at the thought of travelling on a small boat. Edward suppressed the need to chuckle and shared a fleeting glance with Eleazar at the overwhelming disgust that most vampires held of water travel.

Edward watched as Aro's focus moved from Eleazar, back to the trio in front of him. Edward could see Aro considering his approach and the decision to deal with the side issue before moving onto his main concern.

"My dear Nuncio, I am interested to hear your report of events." Edward felt the Maestro tense as Aro held out his hand. Unable to refuse, the old man stepped past Edward and Carlisle to stand in front of his master. Aro grasped his servants' hand and focussed on the images streaming from the old man. Edward could see the vampire pull the Maestro's thoughts apart, focusing on the events of the last few months and then drilling down to the last twenty four hours.

Releasing the old man's hand Aro scanned to room, his vision landing on the piano that only hours before acted as William Pearson's operating table for Carlisle's ghoulish procedure. Edward watched as Aro mused on what he had witnessed, turning his head to Eleazar. "The young man will recover?"

"Yes Aro," Eleazar confirmed. Anticipating the vampire leaders next question Eleazar added, "I waited before I left the young man, he has no recollection of recent events and the medical staff are treating for idiopathic anaemia."

Aro hummed in acknowledgement, clearly not wishing to make any comment as to the boys situation. Aro turned to Chelsea, indicating that she should guard the Maestro, choosing to deal with the old man after more pressing issues had been resolved.

Ignoring Edward, Aro addressed Carlisle. "Carlisle, my dear one, despite the resulting consequences I am incredibly proud of the fact that you have embraced your vampire side, protecting and defending your mate. Going even as far as hurting him in order to protect him, it is truly a vampire effort matched by few in Volterra."

Carlisle remained passive, staring at Aro throughout the vampires backhanded praise. Aro noticed this passivity which was extreme even for his mellow friend. He had clear immutable evidence as to the emergence of Carlisle's viciously possessive nature, why was he disappointing his audience now.

"My dear Carlisle, it is most unlike you to remain quiet in matters regarding your mate. However as inspirational that is, I need you to move away from Edward, while I determine what will happen from now." Aro made a gesture to Chelsea and Demetri to move forward and separate the pair.

It wasn't a specific movement that made Aro and his guard pause, but the potential for one. A slight shift in the air foreshadowing Edward moving his arm to protect Carlisle who would turn into Edwards embrace.

Aro gasped, he could not believe his eyes, he honestly never thought Edward would have it in him to challenge Carlisle for the leadership of the coven, let alone be successful.

"Well, well, well! This is interesting, you both have had an fascinating time haven't you. And all of this over a human child."

At this Edward committed to his movement, placing himself firmly between Carlisle and the ancient. There was no way that the Volturi was going near Carlisle, not without Edwards say.

Aro paused, he had planned to "interview" Carlisle first, allowing him to self-incriminate before getting confirmation from Edward. However the latest revelation significantly altered his plan. He knew that the recent transition of dominance between them would have effected Carlisles thought patterns making it difficult for Aro to interpret his thoughts.

Edward watched Aro's as the ancient pondered his current dilemma, but refused to separate from Carlisle, even to plead their case with Aro.

Seeing his young friends dilemma Eleazar stepped forward. "Aro, might it help if I stand with Carlisle, while you and Edward "talk"."

Edward gave Eleazar a relieved glance while Aro stiffened, but them relaxed and gave Eleazar a firm nod. Eleazar moved forward to stand beside Carlisle, one hand resting lightly on the others arm.

Once satisfied that Carlisle was settled with Eleazar, Edward stepped forward and grasped Aro's waiting hand.

As always, making a connection with Aro disorientated Edward. Edwards experience was unique, even to Aro himself. The young mind reader was instantly bombarded with a flood of information and thought, hearing his own thoughts as they are torn from his mind and then receiving them again layered with Aro's analysis and critique. He sometimes felt he had been duplicated, then edited and critiqued, before being returned, making it difficult to reconcile the differing versions of himself.

In the second it took Edward to settle, Aro had started invading his mind. As was his want, Aro established a conversation with Edward through their connection. Edwards suspected the other enjoyed the unique link that the two had and quite enjoyed being able to converse with Edward in a way he could with no other; human or vampire.

"_Well I must congratulate you my child." _Aro started smugly. _"Congratulate you on handling yourself as a true vampire, both yourself and Carlisle have come unto your own. I had no idea that my agent could trigger such a fascinating result."_

Edward huffed quietly, he refused to react to Aro's gloating, as if the state of his and Carlisle's relationship was to be manipulated for the elders enjoyment. There was nothing gained for the Volturi leader in this situation, other than to confirm that, no matter its form, Edward and Carlisle's bond would always be there.

As the story of their immediate past flowed between the two Edward began to sense a change in Aro's mind. Aro seemed to relish a reality with Edward as the dominate mate, allowing the pair to exist indefinitely in the current form. A scenario that Edward would accept…for now!

But Edward knew from experience that nothing from the Volturi leader came for free. Aro was known for issuing a pardon only after an object lesson had been made. Aro was heading towards something and it was unlikely that that something was going to be anything but traumatic.

Aro had moved to the summation part of his sentencing. _"I must admit I had fully planned to remove you and allow Carlisle to finally meet the fate he had written for himself by again going against Volterra. While I am loath to destroy any vampire, I must be assured that your new bond is complete."_

Edward had to resist the crushing urge to tear himself away from Aro, but forced himself to remain still waiting to face their sentence.

Aro sensed Edwards discomfort and tightened his grip. _"You are young and have been forced into an action that vampires centuries older than yourself have not had to perform. As such you are probably not aware of the requirement to seal the new bond, that is the feeding of your new subservient mate from kill you have made yourself." _

Aro paused. _"The problem that we have here is that there is no precedence for the use of animal blood in the transfer and we cannot be assured that it would ensure the durability of the bond as is required in this case. That is to ensuring that your dominance over Carlisle is absolute."_

As Edward processed Aro's ultimatum he began to feel nauseatingly ill.

_He must make the kill himself…_

_Aro will not allow animal blood to be used…_

At that moment all thought in Edwards mind stopped. His eyes snapped up to meet Aro's who, using the void of thought that was Edwards shocked brain, sent a strong image and three words.

"_Carlisle or Him?"_

Seeing the horror and hesitation in Edwards eyes Aro broke their physical connection, but keeping eye contact declared.

"I believe Robert Louis Stevenson said it best, when he said, 'sooner or later everyone sits down to a banquet of consequences.' As the new head of your coven, this is your decision and your responsibility. But be assured, should you wish to refuse, I will be willing to accept your coven mate as collateral damage."

Eleazar tightened his grip on Carlisle as the other tried to approach Aro. Edward looked to Carlisle and Eleazar, both of whom have concluded what Aro has requested of him. Edward turned to the Maestro still held firmly by Chelsea, completely clueless as to what is about to occur.

Edward looked back at Aro and nodded, there was no choice. On the young vampires agreement, Aro turned to the old man, who suddenly seemed to understand what was happening. His thoughts flickered between fear and panic which became resignation upon Aro's words.

"My dear Nuncio, I have known you since you were a child. You are one of my children, my servant. You have served me faithfully for many decades. We agreed that this would be your most challenging task and I assured you that this would be your last. I would allow you to retire and give you the separation from the Volturi that you have craved for years."

Edward did not think about the act, to do so would have made him unable. Drawing on the horrid memories from his time away from Carlisle, his movement was like a snakes, quick and just as deadly. Wrapping his hand around the old man's face he created a perfect seal around the Maestro's mouth and nose. The moment before the old man expired, when Edward could be assured that he was no longer aware, the vampire pierced the Maestro's throat and gulped three long draws of blood. At which point the elderly man was deceased.

Laying the body on the ground, his mind screaming in pain, Edward swiftly moved to Carlisle. Rather than sit with his mate and allow Carlisle feed from Edward's chest or arm, which would place them both at a position of weakness with the Volturi guard surrounding them. Edward grabbed the back of Carlisle's head and regurgitating the still warm human blood kissed Carlisle deeply and transferred the fluid to his mate, thus sealing the new bond.

Carlisle melted into the embrace, greedily taking the blood, liking the inside of Edwards mouth and sucking the last of the life juices from his tongue. Despite this demonstrated relish Edward could hear the "true" Carlisle screaming in sync with Edward's own pain.

Soon neither of the couple could support the other and they fell to their knees, holding each other tightly. Edward knew that there had been no point pleading for the old man's life, he was dead from the moment he called Italy for assistance. Everyone in the room knew that including, in some small way, the Maestro.

Nevertheless, after being forced to murder someone who, despite his faults, was still an innocent, Edward wished it was he who had died!

But he knew Aro would never allow that, so Edward had had to do whatever was necessary to keep Carlisle with him forever.


	19. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters belong to Stephanie Meyer

AN (1): We are on the home stretch now with two chapters left. I hope, dear reader, you continue to enjoy this tale.

AN (2): To all of my readers, reviews and friends I thank you, for your continued support.

AN (3): Please note that this chapter has been neither pre-read or beta'd, so all poor grammar is my own.

* * *

_Laying the body on the ground, his mind screaming in pain, Edward swiftly moved to Carlisle. Rather than sit with his mate and allow Carlisle feed from Edward's chest or arm, which would place them both at a position of weakness with the Volturi guard surrounding them. Edward grabbed the back of Carlisle's head and regurgitating the still warm human blood kissed Carlisle deeply and transferred the fluid to his mate, thus sealing the new bond._

_Carlisle melted into the embrace, greedily taking the blood, liking the inside of Edwards mouth and sucking the last of the life juices from his tongue. Despite this demonstrated relish Edward could hear the "true" Carlisle screaming in sync with Edward's own pain._

_Soon neither of the couple could support the other and they fell to their knees, holding each other tightly. Edward knew that there had been no point pleading for the old man's life, he was dead from the moment he called Italy for assistance. Everyone in the room knew that including, in some small way, the Maestro._

_Nevertheless, after being forced to murder someone who, despite his faults, was still an innocent, Edward wished it was he who had died!_

_But he knew Aro would never allow that, so Edward had had to do whatever was necessary to keep Carlisle with him forever._

~*.*~

It felt like forever, but was less than a minute huddled on the floor, before Edward came to his senses and gently rose; standing Carlisle up with him, wincing at his mates sparkling red eyes knowing full well that they mirrored his own. Clasping Carlisle's hand Edward positioned his mate slightly behind himself and directly in front of Eleazar, Edward then returned his attention to Aro, not escaping the elders smug satisfaction.

"Now that we have all that unpleasant business taken care of," sighed Aro. "We must now determine your future."

Aro raised his hand despite the trio not reacting in any way, "Now be reassured I have no intention to do anything permanent or fatal, we need to make the best arrangements to support you both in your current situation, and provide assurance to myself that matters will not return to as they have recently been."

Gesturing to Eleazar, Aro waved him forward. "My friend, I am going to ask you for something that will, I am sure, inconvenience you and your lovely mate for a currently indeterminate period of time."

Aro paused, taking in the lack of concern in his old friends face and was slightly disappointed at the subdued response.

Straightening and firming his tone Aro laid out his demands. "I would ask that yourself and Carmen accompany the Cullen's to a remote location of your choosing, any of your properties in Alaska or Canada would suffice, and reside with them until such time as I agree that they are free to live away from the safety of your support."

Carlisle tightened his grip on Edwards hand, a silent apology more meaningful than a fleeting thought, as the reality sunk in that they were to be in the vampire equivalent of house arrest, potentially for eternity, or at least for this side of forever.

Eleazar stood, hands clasped behind his back bowing his head to Aro, "It is my honour to serve the Volturi and the law." Keeping his gloves on Eleazar extended his arm, smiling to himself as Aro slipped his own gloves on to shake hands on the deal.

During this exchange neither Edward or Carlisle had drawn breath. Even after the deal appeared to have been done, Edward remained on guard hovering over Carlisle.

Eleazar stepped back to be side by side with Edward, turning his head to the side he looked Edward in the eye and a faint thread emerged from his normally silent mind, _This is alright, we will make it work for everyone_.

Edward nodded imperceptibly before his attention was drawn back to Aro.

"It is nice to see a worrying situation able to be resolved at minimal distress, I am pleased to see Edward how you and your mate are accepting of your sentence and punishment and hope that your both acknowledge that only your compliance and Eleazar's word to support you has saved you from a more distressing fate."

At this the surrounding guard members relaxed, acting more as bystanders than enforcers.

Studying his hand enclosed glove Aro seemed engrossed in the stitching. Edward caught the trail of thought mere moments before Aro voiced them. "The only outstanding matter is the human boy who was at the centre of all of this strife. What to do there?" tipping his head towards Eleazar he continued. "Eleazar assures me that the child has no memory of the recent events and as such is not a risk of disclosure." He paused, "however what of the events proceeding the last twenty four hours, will he piece together enough details to raise his suspicions or at least unsolved questions. What to do?"

It was taking all of Edwards restraint, combined with Eleazar surreptitiously standing on the young vampires foot, to stop Edward from screaming in protest. The thought of William paying with his life for Edward, Carlisle and the Maestros mistakes was almost more than he could take.

Once again disappointed with the lack of reaction Aro continued, "I will at this time heed the council of my old friend and consider the boy of limited risk, however I will reserve the right to review this after visits by my agents over time." He lifted his gaze to look Edward straight in the eyes, "Make no mistake, this matter will be concluded only upon my say so."

Waving Renata forward with his cloak, Aro shrugged on the garment. "Now that we have a solution for this potential disaster, my guard and I will bid you farewell. Eleazar, I expect a telegram as soon as you are settled and regular updates throughout each year." Aro looked at Edward, "I forbid either you or your mate to leave the safety of Eleazar's care until I advise that it is no longer necessary. I also forbid you to see, or have contact with, the young human for the rest of his lifetime. "

The law laid down and the punishment extoled, Aro made a swift gesture to his guard and the group rapidly exited the building and were soon on the outskirts of town.

The rapid exit by the Volturi was met by the stunned silence of the three remaining vampires. Carlisle was the first to move, leaning heavily into Edwards side, desperate for reassurance. Turning Edward captured his husband in a firm embrace, lightly kissing his face while running his hands down his back and through Carlisle's hair.

Eleazar cleared his throat gently. "We need to get moving. Is there anything remaining, either here or at the house, that you would need?"

Edward looked up from his task of comforting Carlisle, "Carlisle has already packed the house and he arranged for our belongings to collected for storage. I will need to grab a couple of things from my office and other than double checking the house the only other place would be Carlisle's office. If you wanted to take Carlisle to the house, I can check his office before joining you there."

Eleazar frowned, "Edward do not even think of visiting William Pearson. Aro made it very clear that you were not to and doing so could put both the boy and Carlisle at greater risk."

Edward went to interrupt, but Eleazar stopped him with a glare. "The boy is alive, leave him that way. If you care for your friend then you will be happy with that. Promise me!" Eleazar's emphasis of the word friend made Edward drop his gaze as he clasped Carlisle to him more firmly, the young vampire nodded and breathed his promise to the elder.

~*.*~

Edward and Carlisle stayed in a tight embrace for the half an hour that Eleazar was absent. Upon his return Eleazar kept Carlisle company while Edward cleared his office. Once all was complete Eleazar used the Maestro's phone, ignoring the dead man's body, to ring Carmen and advise her of the situation and the fact that she will need to close up their New York house and move to the property in Canada.

Once everything in Oberlin was finalised the three ran from the town. Following Eleazar it became clear to the Cullen's that they were heading towards the boat shed, evidently Eleazar had taken the opportunity to use the mooring point for his power boat. As they came closer to the lake shore, Carlisle became more and more agitated; to the point that within meters of the shed he stopped and then started to back away.

"Carlisle?" Edward turned concern in his voice, would recent memories of the boathouse and the events on the island incapacitate his mate? Would Eleazar and himself be able to manhandle Carlisle onto the boat in event of him having a meltdown.

Carlisle wrapped his arms around his chest and gave Edward and Eleazar a fearful look. "Are we going on a boat? Can we not go another way? Please don't make me go on a boat, I will be sick."

Edward looked at his mate incredulously, "Oh for goodness sake Carlisle, you're worried about being sea sick." Edward knew he was being harsh, but Carlisle's phobia of boat travel was the last thing he needed at this point in time and he just wanted his mate to just get over it.

Eleazar knew that Edward was simply lashing out in frustration of their current situation, but the youngster needed a lesson in appropriate handling of a distressed mate. Walking up to Edward, Eleazar leaned forward and gave him a quiet but firm reprimand, however in a rare occasion he lifted his mental blocks to allow Edward to maintain face in light of the reproof.

_Edward, I appreciate that you are upset and angry and even scared, but as distressed as you are, you are responsible for Carlisle's emotions and reactions. Without your calm control Carlisle will panic and can react badly. You may remember your own behaviours when Carlisle lost control of himself. You are in a unique position in that you have been in both a subservient and dominate position, take your experience from the first to help you be stronger in the second._

Edward could not look at Eleazar during the rebuke. He was ashamed of himself, how could he take his frustration out on Carlisle? How could he belittle Carlisle's fear of boats when he knew that that fear was debilitating to his mate, who had many times supressed his panic to accommodate Edward's desires.

Edward sighed and swiftly moved from Eleazar's touch to Carlisle, wrapping his arms around his husband. "I am so sorry sweetheart, I know how much you hate boat travel and should not have been so harsh with you." Edward cupped Carlisles face in his hands and felt Carlisle lean into the touch relaxing into Edward.

"We have to go on the boat, don't we?" Carlisle whispered in a trembling voice.

"Yes darling, we do," Edward confirmed. "But I promise we will only go as fast as you can cope and as soon as it becomes too much we will moor so you can have a break."

Carlisle's attention drew towards Eleazar who continued, "We are going to the Canadian mountain house,"

Edward raised an eyebrow at Eleazar, who nodded in confirmation. Edward returned his attention to Carlisle, "So we will only travel as far as we can in the lakes and rivers system and will then travelling on foot. I promise you love, it will be as short a boat journey as we can make it." Edward turned Carlisle to look him direct in the eye, "Are you willing to try this for me?"

Carlisle looked at Edward and then to Eleazar who gave him a small smile. Taking a deep breath, inhaling the smells around him, all of which were dominated by the scent of his wonderful mate. He returned his gaze to Edward who had an adorable worried frown on his face. "Okay, l can do this. But can we please get it over with as fast as possible?" Edward smiled and embraced Carlisle tightly. "I love you," he murmured into Carlisle's hair. Lifting his head up he mouthed _thank you_ to Eleazar.

It took a few starts to get Carlisle on the boat however they were eventually underway. Despite the serious nature of their journey Edward cold not help but to admire with envy Eleazar's newest possession, a custom made replica of Edsel Fords Typhoon Speedboat. The triple cockpit mahogany beauty was unlike anything Edward had ever seen, let alone owned and he could not resist perusing the vessel over the scenery rushing by at 55mph. Carlisle was huddled at his side in the middle of the three cockpits, whimpering each time Edward moved too far from his grasp.

They progressed in stages, allowing Carlisle breaks from the water. In many cases simply stepping off the boat calmed him instantly, however once or twice Eleazar had taken his friend to hunt, while Edward stayed with the vessel. At one point when it was too light to stop and the coast was too far away, Carlisle began to get extremely agitated, the only solution to calming him was Edward feeding Carlisle. When they finally had to stop and continue on foot Eleazar ensured that Edward was able to feed substantially to regain his strength and be physically and mentally able to support Carlisle.

Back on land and well fed, Carlisle began to feel and act his old self again, this didn't go unnoticed by Edward and Eleazar, as he began to engage in conversation. After a while of small talk Carlisle started to ask the questions he actually wanted answers to.

"Why are we going to Canada and not Denali?" Edward raised his eyebrows leaving the question to Eleazar.

"As much as we would love to go to Denali, we have been asked to limit our contact with others for the immediate future. So we have chosen to move to the Canadian safe house, Aro agreed that the choice was a good one…" Eleazar paused and threw a worried look at Carlisle.

Carlisle broke his gait for a microsecond, barely enough time to register unless you were two vampires monitoring his every move. Rather than ask any questions, Carlisle pondered Eleazar's response which was both vague and informative.

He knew that they were under the supervision of Eleazar and Carmen, but he had not expected the couple to lose the anonymity of one of their most hidden houses. Additionally the stipulation that they do not have contact with others not only punished Edward and Carlisle, but Eleazar and Carmen as well.

Carlisle did not speak for the remainder of their journey, despite both Edward and Eleazar attempts to engage him in conversation. Edward was not worried about his mate, his mind was calm, but was not planning to let this introspection become depression.

They slowed as they entered Canada and again when they crossed the border to the national park. Edward regularly scanned the immediate are to ensure there were no humans nearby. Once it was all clear, they headed directly for the mountain hut that had been Carmen and Eleazar once hidden safe house.

At first glance the hut was a normal wooden hut high up in the Rocky's Mountain Park. It was built against a face of the mountain above the snowline. It was not until they entered the hut that Edward and Carlisle discovered the secret of this home. At the back of the small hut, instead of a rear wall, the side of the mountain had been excavated to create a vast space divided into a number of rooms. The space was comfortably decorated, showing clear signs of Carmen's taste and style, and vast enough to allow shared, personal and intimate space for the two couples.

Five days after the three arrived, Carmen appeared at the door, along with two very docile mules laden with the personal effects of both couples. She had performed a number of logistical activities on behalf of the Cullen's, having taken a detour to their storage facility to collect clothes are other belongings that she knew would ease their time in exile.

~*.*~

The next decade could be described in one word…slow! It was a perfect time and place for Edward and Carlisle to settle into their new dynamic. Eleazar and Carmen were able to provide Edward with an expanded vampire education and were able to fill in many of the gaps in his education that Carlisle had been unwilling, or simply unable, to provide.

After a brief period of embarrassment, resulting from the lack of privacy, much of their time was spent in intimate activities. It took Edward years to fully embrace his dominant status, he forever felt that he was in the wrong role and sometimes was so stressed it felt like his skin was too small. Eleazar would watch Edward closely until the signs of his distress became suffocating, quickly removing him to the nearest body of water and allowing the mind reader the time to decompress without fear of distressing Carlisle.

By the spring of 1935 Carlisle joined Carmen on regular foraging excursions, collecting local vegetation for use in distilling into medicines and topical remedies, which Carmen would then disappear for a couple of day providing the remedies to those living around the mountains. During their times together Carlisle expanded his knowledge and skill in "pharmacopeia" beyond that he had developed in his decades as a practicing physician.

In the meantime, Edward wrote! He journaled everything he remembered, everything he had learned, and everything he had seen in his short time as a vampire.

He also started to draw.

But rather than capture images of the people he had met and places he had seen, he made an effort to unscramble the various thoughts forced upon him. Edward spent time in contemplation and meditation recalling and deconstructing the millions of images in his mind, from the light of the innocent, the sinking blackness of the evil, and everything in between.

~*.*~

In 1940 everything changed. Canada had joined the war in Europe in 1939 and events were moving at a pace that lead Aro to request that Eleazar return to his post in New York, where he would be better able to work as the Volturi liaison during the troubled times.

The two couples returned to New York at the end of 1940. While the Cullens were seen as safe after the decade in exile, Aro continued to be firm on the need for supervision.

Upon their arrival in New York they immediately moved into a newly built apartment building on 5th Avenue opposite Central Park. Expert negotiation skills, and an unlimited budget, allowed Eleazar to secure the two penthouse apartments between which he had built a hidden pocket door, allowing the perception of privacy for Edward and Carlisle, whilst also maintaining the level of supervision required by Aro.

Each penthouse apartment was spread over two levels and the group were able to use the rooms effectively to separate interests and hobbies. In addition each penthouse had a private courtyard allowing for discrete time outside, even on the sunniest days.

It was in New York that Carlisle returned to western medicine. While he was not authorised to work in a hospital Carmen was a silent trustee in the New York Foundation, and was able to get Carlisle involved in a group undertaking medical research at the New York City Bureau of Laboratories.

The role was part time twice a week, and was highly stimulating for Carlisle, while also meeting the terms of his confinement. Carmen would chaperon Carlisle each morning, do her errands, and then collect him at the end of the day. The restriction grated on him, however he willingly accepted that the circumstances could be worse than having a beautiful intelligent companion to journey to and from home.

Edward tended to go to the river. Many a time Eleazar would join him and, using their small sailboat, they would cast off and let the breeze and the current move them away from the house and city.

During their time away, Edward and Carlisle's relationship had strengthened and as strange as it felt to both of them, their bond was tighter than it had been even before Oberlin. Despite this Eleazar knew that Edward was struggling much more than Carlisle with the current situation. The young vampire missed the previous relationship, despite the trauma which an abuse of that relationship had caused. Edward was not naturally dominant and had needed to learn how to meet the needs of his mate, while also maintaining a level of control over the relationship.

Edward was fascinated to learn how much subtle control Carlisle had had in the past, of which Edward (and possibly Carlisle) were unaware, until such time when had needed to unravel issues of sex and seduction, priority in feeding or even simple things of how they hold hands or embrace each other when resting.

During his conversations with Edward, Eleazar was constantly surprised at how much the other couple were missing in regards to mating and their relationship. Eleazar calmly talked Edward through the rite of passage for being a mate and having a "sub", for lack of better term, to care and be responsible for.

Edward made a point of journaling Eleazar's teachings for the time when he and Carlisle returned to their natural roles. Edward was absolutely sure that one day they would return to the original configuration. He hoped to be able to petition Aro in a decade or so, once Eleazar had determined that Carlisle was fit to take control of the coven once more.

In the meantime Edward would learn, meet his obligations as coven leader, and love him mate unconditionally; all the while suppressing a small bubble of resentment. In the past he would have run for miles to escape the feeling, he accepted now that that was the response of a child and he needed to stay and meet his problems head on.

Running from Carlisle, now of all times, was a bad idea. The one time he had not returned at the promised time it had taken Carlisle weeks to trust Edward to not abandon him. For now he had to accept that there were things that were not possible for now, but was surprised that it was the little things that he missed the most; Carlisle leading him in the bedroom, being surrounded by Carlisle's arms or the feeling Carlisle inside him. All of which were not possible with their current arrangement.

While Eleazar performed his duties on behalf of Volterra, and Carmen and Carlisle were out twice a week, Edward tended to stay to stay home alone. Like Carlisle, his movements were restricted and he would often join Eleazar on his errands. However many times it was not appropriate for Edward to join Eleazar and he was required to stay at home.

It was not much of a chore for him, the house was full of diversions and Edward was able to keep himself occupied. Of all of the things that were available the one activity that he would not partake was music, or more specifically, playing the piano.

There was a piano in the house, but Edward had refused to play or write any music since they left the conservatory. The instrument had originally been placed in their apartment and when he discovered that Edward had simply thrown a tantrum, screaming and tearing around the apartment, threatening to throw it off the roof if it was not removed.

Thus grand piano found a home in the main living room of Carmen and Eleazar's apartment in which, Carmen had determined had the best acoustics for when Edward eventually wanted to play it. For himself Edward did not believe that he would even play again and would actually go out of his way to not enter the room in which it resided.

Initially Carmen and Eleazar had thought the reticence was simply as a result of the destruction of his piano in Oberlin and the grizzly happenings in the conservatory. However after an aggressive confrontation between Edward and Carlisle the latter unthinkingly asked his mate to play his favourite composition, resulting in Carmen taking a distraught Carlisle out for a walk, while a shocked Eleazar stayed to calm Edward. It became very clear to them all that there was more to the trauma Edward experienced than he had shared.

Edward refused to expand further than that he did not wish to play again and requested that the issue be no longer raised. Edwards music was the biggest casualty of the events in Oberlin and one he believed that would never recover. He often felt resentful of Carlisle's slow movement back into medicine, when he seemed to be stuck without his passion, maybe for eternity.

So it was a massive surprise for Carlisle, Carmen and Eleazar, who had met up with the others on the walk home, to hear the sounds of the piano emanating from the apartment. They paused before opening the door, to listen to the loud and fast tempo piece. It was nothing that the trio had remembered hearing and as they listened they began to feel uneasy, throwing glances at each other, this did not feel right, there was something wrong.

Opening the front door, the concern became panic as they all caught the faint smell of dried blood, human blood. Swiftly moving to the music room Carmen gasped at the disaster in front of them. All furniture, barring the piano and stool where Edward was seated, had been smashed. The music books and sheet music that had resided in the floor to ceiling shelving was shredded to smithereens, leaving a carpet of parchment and paper over the floor.

Edward himself had not shown any indication that he was aware of the others presence, his playing was frenetic, in his left hand was a crushed up piece of paper, his body bowed over the keys, his face contorted in agony with sobs tearing through his body.

Stunned, Carlisle attempted to move forward, resulting in Edward emitting a ferocious growl. Carlisle paused, unwilling to continue further, but desperate to reach his mate who was in such agony. He silently appealed to Eleazar, who in turn looked at his wife. Eleazar was not keen to put his mate in potential danger, but he was willing bet that Edward would never harm Carmen, and even if he tried Carmen could well and truly defend herself.

While the two males stepped out of the room, Carmen walked along the wall until she was in Edwards line of sight. Edward gave a whimpered growl and raising his eyes he looked directly at Carmen, his expression full of pain. Carmen sighed and opened her arms out to the young vampire. Scrambling away from the piano he kicked the piano stool aside, throwing himself into Carmen's embrace.

Carmen held the trembling vampire, all the while trying to block out the scent coming from Edwards left hand. They stood in the firm embrace for nearly an hour, Carmen simply waiting for Edward to calm enough to want to let go. Getting him to talk was a long way down her list of priorities.

After five hours Edward slumped in her arms. Rather than having him fall to the floor, she folded him into her arms and carried him out of the room and into her sitting room, placing him gently on the large settee facing the courtyard windows. Carlisle and Eleazar, who had remained just outside the music room door for the entire time, followed into the sitting room, keeping their distance in case they trigger another episode.

Resting Edwards head on her shoulder, Carmen gently stroked his hair calming him further. Eventually his left hand relaxed and the crumpled bloodstained sheet of paper dropped into his lap. Moving slowly Carmen picked up the paper and quietly handed it to Eleazar who sat in the wingback beside her, Carlisle standing behind him.

Flattening the paper, trying to avoid the blood smeared over it. Eleazar was confused at the document, which was clearly a telegram, but had also been written on with ink. The addition of the blood made it macabre. With a sinking feel he read the typed text.

"MRS PEARSON, WEST COLLAGE STREET, OBERLIN, OHIO. THE SECRETARY OF WAR DESIRES ME TO EXRESS HIS DEEP REGRET THAT YOUR SON PRIVATE WILLIAM GEORGE PEARSON WAS KILLED IN ACTION IN THE PERFORMANCE OF HIS DUTY. ULIO THE ADJUTANT GENERAL."

Then in the bottom corner, in a hand he would recognise until the end of time, was the following…

"_Dear Mr Cullen. The events at Oberlin are now concluded. Await further contact in regards to your confinement. Aro Volturi."_


End file.
